The Interior Ministry wants to give parental holidays equal treatment.
Interior Minister Kai Mykkänen said making flag-flying on Father’s Day official was an issue of gender equality. At the moment, flying the flag on the second Sunday in November—Fathers' Day—is an established custom and not stipulated by law as is the case with Mother’s Day in Finland.
”It’s time to give mothers and fathers the same credit when it comes to official flag days,” Mykkänen said in a ministry release.
Finland has six flag days when the law calls for the flag to be flown from public buildings. In addition to Mother’s Day (second Sunday in May), these include Kalevala Day, or the day of Finnish culture (28 February), Labour Day (1 May), Flag day of the Finnish Defence Forces (4 June), Midsummer Day (Saturday between 20 and 26 June), and Independence Day (6 December).
”Giving Father’s Day the same clout as Mother’s Day puts both parental holidays on equal footing,” Mykkänen explained.
The Interior Ministry’s proposal on Father’s Day flag-flying will now move on to consideration by the government.