Helsinki day

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The Finnish capital Helsinki celebrates its foundation on Helsinki-päivä (German Helsinki Day ), which takes place annually on June 12th . On this date in 1550, Sweden's then King Gustav I Wasa founded the city under its Swedish name Helsingfors .

The city's birthday has been celebrated since 1959; it goes back to an initiative of the then Lord Mayor of Helsinki, Lauri Aho, and the chairman of the Helsinki Society, Jorma Waronen. Traditionally, the Lord Mayor drinks a cup of coffee in the courtyard of the City Hall to mark the opening of Helsinki Day.

Today, open-air concerts and theater performances are just as much part of the program as free visits to museums, stands in the city and guided tours of the city. In addition, on June 12, the City of Helsinki will award the Helsinki Medal, which honors deserving citizens. Several hundred thousand guests visit Helsinki Day every year.

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