Flags in mourning in Finland – deaths and funerals

In Finland, grief is expressed by established custom by lowering the flag to half-mast. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the mourning flag honours the deceased, and it most often expresses private grief. This guide describes how the flag is customarily flown on the day of a death and on the day of a funeral. How the flag is raised to half-mast is described in the guide to half-mast.

Mourning after a death

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the flag is flown at half-mast as soon as news of the death has been received. If the news comes so late that the flying time would be short, the flag is flown at half-mast the following day. The ordinary flying times apply: the flag is raised at 8.00 and lowered at sunset, no later than 21.00.

According to Suomalaisuuden Liitto, besides the house itself the flag can be flown at half-mast at the deceased’s home, workplace and childhood home. If two deaths occur in the same house on the same day, the flag is flown at half-mast for both at the same time. If the second death only becomes known in the evening, the flag can be flown for the second person the following day. The Association notes that such situations occur particularly in sheltered housing and care homes.

The day of the funeral

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the flag is flown on the day of the funeral as follows:

1. When flag flying begins, the flag is raised via full mast to half-mast.
2. The flag stays at half-mast during the funeral service and burial.
3. After the service, before the memorial reception, the flag is raised to full mast for the rest of the day. At full mast the flag salutes and honours the deceased.
4. The flag is lowered at the usual time in the evening.

According to Suomalaisuuden Liitto, on the day of the funeral the flag can be flown at half-mast at the home and at the place of the memorial reception.

Mourning and a flag day on the same day

According to the Ministry of the Interior, a house in mourning flies the flag at half-mast on official and established flag days as well. Suomalaisuuden Liitto likewise says that if the day of death or the funeral is a flag day, the flag is flown at half-mast in the usual way.

Flags at the funeral service

According to Suomalaisuuden Liitto, flags can be used at a funeral service whenever it feels appropriate. The flags are usually in their stands before the service begins, and when several flags are used, the usual order of flags is followed.

A black mourning ribbon can be attached to organisation flags, according to the Association, tied with a simple knot between the finial of the pole and the flag. A mourning ribbon is never attached to the Finnish flag, even though the custom is seen elsewhere in the world. A national flag on the coffin is in Finland a Defence Forces custom, and it is not used at civilian funerals.

General mourning

The Ministry of the Interior can recommend or order general mourning, for example on the death of a prominent national figure or after a major disaster. According to Suomalaisuuden Liitto, regional or local mourning is sometimes ordered as well. The Ministry’s order binds state authorities and institutions. For others it is a recommendation, which many municipalities, businesses and private individuals follow.

The Ministry announces the timing and manner of general mourning in a press release. On the day of the funeral of King Harald V of Norway on 9 September 2026, for example, the flag was at half-mast from the morning until the funeral services ended at 16.00, after which it was raised to full mast.

A foreign flag in mourning

According to Suomalaisuuden Liitto, in Finland the national flag of a foreign state can also be flown at half-mast. The Finnish flag is then in the position of highest honour, and both flags are at half-mast. The order of flags is described in the guide to foreign flags in Finland.