Finland celebrates Mikael Agricola and the Finnish language day

Finland is marking Mikael Agricola Day on Wednesday, honouring the 16th-century bishop considered the father of written Finnish, reports national broadcaster Yle.

The annual flag-flying day is observed on Agricola’s death date, 9 April, rather than his birth date, as his exact year of birth remains unknown.

Agricola’s most notable work, Abckiria (1543), was the first book published in Finnish. The primer introduced basic reading skills alongside Lutheran teachings, laying the foundation for the Finnish literary language.