Before Tove Jansson, there was Minna Canth.

Until 2020, Canth was the only woman in Finland to have been honored with a flag day. The day, March 19, is known as the Equality Day.

Minna Canth was the first Finnish-speaking female writer and journalist. While raising seven children, she wrote articles for newspapers and magazines on education, equality, socialism, and freedom of religion.

She also wrote 10 plays offering social commentary from a woman’s perspective.

During her lifetime, she became a highly respected voice in Finland.

She died at the age of 53, and in 2007 her birthday was designated as a flag day.

Editor’s note:

Momin creator Tove Jansson’s flag day is observed by government agencies and public bodies on August 9, 2020. For the public, flying the flag is voluntary. For Jansson’s flag day to become permanent, it will depend on how actively Finnish citizens raise the flag.

The Ministry of the Interior is monitoring the flag-raising activity (though, at the time of writing, it’s not entirely clear how).

But the voluntary principle is similar to the first steps of Minna Canth’s flag day becoming permanent part of the calendar.