Finland's Independence Day will be marked in traditional fashion this year with a reception hosted by President Sauli Niinistö and his wife Jenni Haukio.
Niinistö said at a press conference on Thursday that the gala's programme will reflect the ongoing pandemic.
"It might feel like there are very few reasons to celebrate," said Niinistö. "But Independence Day and the reception is a good moment to show gratitude and respect."
In 2021 the event was held mostly virtually, with TV presenters interviewing the presidential couple in their Helsinki Palace and bringing in various guests via video link.
Reduced guest list
This year's event has been long in the planning, with a reduced guest list of around 1,300. That's down roughly a third compared to a normal year.
There will be dozens of air filters installed around the building, and Niinistö has requested that guests act responsibly and to stay away if they have any symptoms of respiratory illness.
The presidential couple are ready to shake hands with guests, but that is not an obligation for guests if they would prefer not to.
Ordinarily the most-watched television event of the year in Finland, the centrepiece of the reception broadcast usually sees guests arrive couple by couple, shake hands with the president, and enter the building.
A significant proportion of the guests are first-timers, with fewer than usual invited because of their official role or position.
Ambassadors, MPs, and civil servants have normally formed a big chunk of the invitation list. This year healthcare professionals are represented, along with those involved in security (in a broad sense), as well as all of those originally invited in 2021.
Russian ambassador invited?
Niinistö was asked during Thursday's press conference whether the Russian ambassador was on the guest list. He said that the guest list was not usually published in advance.
He did admit that due to the reduced guest list, the number of diplomats invited was smaller than in a normal year.
The Kaartin Combo band will play music by the singer Vesa-Matti Loiri, who died in August. Maria Sid will be the band's solo singer.
No veterans
Veterans of the Second World War and the women's defence organisation, Lotta Svärd, will not be invited to the reception. Instead they will have their own event in the week before Independence Day.
There are still around 3,000 veterans in Finland, and their average age is 97. They are usually guests of honour at the Independence Day gala.
Niinistö explained on Thursday that the special arrangements were made to minimise the veterans' risk of Covid infection. The assumption is that once the pandemic dies down, the reception will return to practices seen in previous years.
Yle will screen the reception on TV1 and Yle Areena, with the show starting at 3pm. The reception itself begins at 6:50pm, and the various after-parties will be on show until around 11:15pm.