Today is the Independence Day of Finland and Finland celebrates its 90th birthday. There are going to be festivities all around the country, but the main event will be the reception held at the presidential castle in the evening. Finland’s President and her husband throw a party for about 2000 people –politicians, artists, actors, writers, sportsmen, executives, some ordinary people, too. The gathering is broadcasted alive and all those who were not invited to the party, sit at home on their sofas and look at the somewhat stiff-looking merrymaking in TV.
The Finnish way of celebrating the independence of the nation isn’t something you’d call a carnival. No, the Finnish way is to celebrate such an occasion with dignity, modesty, and humbleness. Laughter for nothing is forbidden, because the independence was gained by war, defended by war and we all know that war demands offers: dead soldiers and civilians, dead happiness and laughter, and still –after decades- the laughter is forbidden.
On such a day, you have to remember the times when the nation was “all for one –one for all”. You have to admire the spirit of those days, the oneness that people felt, the sacrifices one was willing to do for the country.
On days like this, I always feel that people wish there would be a war going on again, because during no other period, the times have been so good when considered the mental state of a nation. Only then, there was bravery, honesty, modesty, unselfishness, and respect for the others.
A national feeling demands a mutual enemy, preferably a war. Otherwise, a nation isn’t anything. It loses its moral, its strength, its honesty, and its power.
An Independence Day is for me a day to remember how important an enemy is for a nation.
I think it’s weird.
Or am I?
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