J.L. Runeberg's Day
Johan Ludvig Runeberg (5 February 1804, Jakobstad – 6 May 1877, Porvoo) was a Finno-Swedish poet,and is considered the national poet of Finland. He wrote his works in Swedish.
He lived in Porvoo and worked as professor of Roman literature in the Gymnasium of Porvoo. He was married to his second cousin Fredrika Runeberg, born Tengström, with whom he had eight children and who wrote poems and novels, too.
Many of his poems deal with life in rural Finland. The best known of these is called Farmer Paavo, about a smallholding peasant farmer in the poor parish of Saarijärvi and his determination, and survival in the harsh Finnish climate.
Runeberg's most famous work is The Tales of Ensign Stål, written between 1848 and 1860. It is considered the greatest Finnish epic poem outside the native Kalevala tradition and contains tales of the Swedish War of 1808-09 with Russia. In the war, Sweden ignominiously lost Finland, which became a Grand Duchy in the Russian empire. The poem, which is composed episodically, emphasizes the common humanity of all sides in the conflict, while principally lauding the heroism of the Finns. The first poem "Our Land", became the Finnish National Anthem. Runeberg is celebrated on 5 February each year.