Publishing the calendar and name days
Do I need permission to publish my calendar?
Publishing the calendar is free in Finland and no special permission is required. The University of Helsinki's exclusive right to publish calendars expired at the end of 1994.
However, the University of Helsinki holds the copyright to the Finnish and Finnish-Swedish lists of names and the lists of names of cats, dogs and horses. Permission is always required to use the name dates. A copyright fee is payable for the use of the name days, depending on the number of copies. Permission must be obtained from the University Almanac Office.
If you make your own calendar without name dates, do you need permission?
A calendar without a name can be made freely and there is no charge to the Almanac Office. You can buy reliable calendar data or a ready-made calendar template from us.
Can I use the name dates in the calendar for free if I write the names myself?
You can't. Copyright does not depend on how a calendar maker puts names on their calendars. The use of names in a calendar always requires permission and a copyright fee.
Can the printing of the calendar be done through the Almanac Office?
You can't. The Almanac Office sells ready-made calendar templates and materials used in calendar production, but the customer must choose the printing house themselves. The illustrations for the calendar must also be obtained separately by the customer.
Can I buy old almanacs from the Almanac Office?
The Almanac Office does not sell almanacs. Old almanacs can be sought from antiquarian bookstores or second-hand shops.
Can I buy the University Almanac from the Almanac Office?
The Almanac Office does not sell the University Almanac. You should inquire about the product in bookstores, markets or from the publisher of the University Almanac.
Adding names to the name day calendar
On what basis is a new name added to the name day calendar?
New names are included in the almanac primarily on the basis of their generality. The numerical limits will be decided separately for each name date renewal. However, the generality of a name is not the only criterion. The name must also fit in well with the national nomenclature. This is why many foreign names, such as Alex, Fanny and Wilma, have been excluded from the calendar.
Who decides which names to put on the calendar?
Decisions on the inclusion of new names are made by the Rector of the University of Helsinki. The matter is prepared by name experts appointed by the University, one of whom is responsible for Finnish names and the other for Finnish-Swedish names. They present the matter to the Rector, who takes a decision.
Can I make a suggestion to add a new name to the calendar?
New almanac names are selected on the basis of their generality. Therefore, in practice, citizens cannot influence the choice of names with their suggestions or wishes. However, it is possible to ask the Almanac Office about the prevalence of different names and to get an estimate of whether a particular name has a chance of being included in the almanac in the coming years. You can also ask a name expert when it would be a good day to celebrate an informal name day.
How often are new names added to the calendar?
New names are now added to the calendar every five years. The previous renewals were for 2015 and 2020. The next changes will take place at the beginning of 2025. Decisions on the 2025 changes were published in August 2023.
Adding a flag day to the calendar
How are commemorative days added to the Finnish calendar?
Decisions on new commemorative days to be added to the Finnish calendar are made by the Board of the University of Helsinki Almanac Office. However, new commemorative days are added to the calendar quite rarely, in recent years only every few years. Proposals can be submitted to the University of Helsinki Almanac Office.
The prerequisite for a new commemorative day is that it has been widely and consistently observed in society for several years. Statements on new commemorative day proposals are usually requested from various expert bodies, and decisions are made based on these recommendations.
It is beneficial if a proposal is supported by as broad a network of citizens as possible. The proposal can be informal, but its justification should be carefully considered. It should explain how widely and consistently the day is already celebrated and which organizations or groups are involved in observing it.
Nothing prevents individuals or organizations from marking the day in their own published calendars, even if the day does not have official commemorative day status.
How do you add flagging days to the Finnish calendar?
Flag Day presentations are made primarily to the Finnish Ministry of the Interior. The possibility of establishing flag days is typically considered for quite a long time. The Ministry carefully weighs up the conditions for a general flagging, including whether the subject of the flagging is accepted by a sufficient number of citizens. Free-form, reasoned flag day proposals can be submitted to the Registry of the Ministry of the Interior.
Some flagging days will be established in such a way that the Home Office will recommend flagging annually for several consecutive years. The Ministry may then submit a proposal to the University Almanac Office to add the day as an established flagging day in the State Calendar and University Almanac. The decision to add the flag to the calendar is made by the Board of the University Almanac Office.
It is also worth remembering the freedom of flagging in Finland. You can fly the national flag whenever you feel the need to do so. You are therefore free to flag outside the flagging days indicated in the calendar, as long as you remember to observe good flagging practice.
Read more on the website of the Ministry of the Interior: Flagging day proposals and their processing by the Ministry
Questions about the calendar
Where does the word calendar come from?
There are different views on the origin of the word "calendar". According to one theory, the word calendar is derived from the Latin word calare (meaning 'to announce'). In ancient Rome, the month began with the first appearance of the crescent moon after sunset. It was then that the high priest announced the beginning of the new month. At the same time, the dates of holidays and festivals falling in that month were announced.
Where does the word almanac come from?
There are many explanations for the history of the word almanac. It is most likely a word of Arabic origin. The root word may be al-manach, which today means weather. Some sources suggest that the original meaning would be 'a place where camels kneel', i.e. an oasis. Caravans would meet each other at the oasis. There they exchanged news, information about events in different places and weather information. The soothsayers in the oasis also told the caravans' fortunes. It is thought that over time the word would have developed the same meaning as the word 'calendar'.
How are weekly numbers determined?
The calculation starts at the beginning of the year. If New Year's Day falls between Monday and Thursday, the week in question is numbered 1. Otherwise, the following week is week 1 and the week containing New Year's Day is numbered according to the previous year, being either week 52 or 53. A good rule of thumb is that week 1 of the year contains the first Thursday of the year that starts. The following weeks are numbered 2, 3, etc.
Why does the week start on Monday instead of Sunday?
It is an international standard, adopted in the early 1970s. It states that the first day of the week is Monday. In Finland, this standard has been followed since 1973. In the older calendars, Sunday was often considered the first day of the week.
When is the Year of the Leap?
According to the leap year rule of the Gregorian calendar, every 4th year is a leap year. However, the exception to this rule is the even centuries, which are leap years only if they are divisible by 400. Thus, 2000 was a leap year, but 2100 is not.