🇫🇮 The colours of Finland

Finland’s flag features a blue cross on white, with blue standing for the country’s many lakes and sky, and white for the snow covering the land. These colours, used since the 19th century, are central to Finnish identity and appear in both civil and state flags. Red and yellow also appear in the state flag’s coat of arms.

Where no official value is given, the swatch shows the colour family, not the exact shade.

• Blue stands for Finland’s lakes and sky, white for snow.
• The flag’s blue is called 'sea blue' and is a dark to medium shade.
• Red and yellow appear only in the coat of arms on the state flag.
• The flag’s proportions are set by law: 11:18.
• Flying the flag at half-mast is a national mourning custom.

The colours of the flag of Finland

The Finnish flag is built around a blue cross on a white background. Blue is said to represent the country’s lakes and sky, while white stands for snow. The cross shape links Finland to other Nordic countries and, for some, carries a Christian meaning. The state flag adds the national coat of arms, which brings in red and yellow. These meanings are widely recognised, though the Christian symbolism is more important to some than others. The colours have appeared in various Finnish flags since the 19th century.

National colours of Finland

Blue and white are the main national colours of Finland. They are used not only in the flag but also in many other settings, such as provincial, military, and town flags. Yacht clubs may use the national flag with their own emblems. Red and yellow are present in the coat of arms, which appears on the state flag and some official standards.

How the colours were chosen of Finland

The first Finnish flag, shown in 1848, was white with the coat of arms and laurel leaves. The blue cross on white first appeared in the 1860s in yacht club flags. The idea for the current flag was chosen after independence in 1917, with a competition that considered both blue-white and red-yellow designs. The final flag, designed by Eero Snellman and Bruno Tuukkanen, was based on earlier proposals and traditions. The blue shade was darkened in 1920, and the coat of arms was adjusted.

Official shades and rules of Finland

The flag’s proportions and colours are set by law. The flag’s ratio is 11:18, with precise measurements for the cross and tails. The blue is officially defined as 'sea blue' and has a specified colour code. Only flags that match the legal colours and design may be sold or used. The flag must be treated respectfully, kept clean, and disposed of by burning or cutting when worn out. Special rules govern flying the flag at half-mast.