What date is celebrated as National Flag Day in Sweden?

Sweden celebrates National Flag Day on June 6.

The date is also Sweden’s National Day, but it began specifically as Swedish Flag Day. The first organized Flag Day celebration took place in 1916 at Stockholm Olympic Stadium, commemorating the election of Gustav Vasa as king on June 6, 1523. Gustav Vasa’s accession is linked to the foundation of modern Swedish independence after the Kalmar Union era.

June 6 also marks the adoption of Sweden’s 1809 Instrument of Government and the country’s 1974 constitution. Parliament officially designated the date as Sweden’s National Day in 1983. It became a public holiday in 2005, replacing Whit Monday as a fixed national day off.

Sweden’s blue-and-yellow Nordic-cross flag is flown widely on the occasion, which explains the older name Swedish Flag Day. The date is sometimes confused with other Scandinavian national celebrations, but June 6 is uniquely Swedish. Sweden’s flag days also include royal birthdays, military commemorations, and other officially designated occasions.