NORMAL LIFE: 90th Year Of Independence

Today is the day of the Epiphany, which celebrates the period from when Jesus Christ was presented to the Three Wise Men (Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar) until he was baptised by John the Baptist, in the River Jordan. It's one of those religious events that are taken seriously in Finland with the granting of a public holiday. Unfortunately, this year's Epiphany is on a Saturday which means that all the shops are closed on the only day when office workers get to spend their well-earned cash. What a joke, inconveniencing the national economy in aid of a meeting between a young baby in Bethlehen and three supposedly Wise Men. Hmph!

On a much more recent note, today also marks the start of Finland's 90th year of Independence (read more here). On December 6th, 1917, Finland declared independence from Russia and has made significant progress. I am currently reading A History of Finland written by Eino Jutikkala and Kauko Pirinen, and I'm just reaching the part about whether or not Finland remains tied to Sweden or should be annexed with Russia. With a very different history to that of England, Finland's history is equally turbulent although there was no empirical glory or slavery or chopping off of people's heads. Rather, Finland's history is tied very much to politics.

When I think how modern Finland is, I find it very hard to imagine that it was a Grand Duchy of Russia just 90 years ago. I have visited St. Petersburg (see here), and the differences between Helsinki and St. Petersburg are overwhelming. If you're considering a visit to Finland during 2007, check out these links:

- Tourist Website for Finland
- Official Website of Helsinki
- Virtual Finland