Finlandia Prepping for Finn Independence Day

Finlandia University in Hancock has long celebrated its strong connection with Finnish culture.

That’s continuing this weekend on Finland’s Independence Day.

Finland is turning 91 on Saturday.

It declared independence from Russia during World War I after being controlled by that country and Sweden for more than 700 years.

There’s a big celebration on the Finlandia campus at the Finnish-American Heritage Center, one that’s as old as Finland itself.

They’ve had it on campus every year since 1917.

One of the more visible traditions of Finn Independence Day is to display a pair of candles in each window.

But there’s also plenty of coffee, sweets and folk music.

The music, Finn folk dancing and other activities kick off at 2pm Saturday in Hancock, where Finn culture is so strong that even the street signs are in both English and Finnish.