Kesäaikaa

Kesäaikaa (literally “summer time”) is the daylight saving time observed in Finland. During kesäaikaa, clocks are set one hour ahead of the standard time to provide longer evenings in the warmer months. It runs alongside talviaika, or winter time, which is the standard time used outside the kesäaika period. The practice is common across many European countries and is coordinated at the European level.

Time zones and rules: In winter, Finland operates on Eastern European Time (EET), UTC+2. In kesäaikaa, it switches to Eastern European Summer Time (EEST), UTC+3. The clock shift takes place on the last Sunday of March and October: in spring, clocks go forward from 03:00 to 04:00 local time; in autumn, they go back from 04:00 to 03:00.

History and current status: Finland adopted kesäaikaa in line with European daylight saving time rules; changes are coordinated with other EU member states to ensure a uniform time system across borders. The rationale traditionally cited includes energy conservation and alignment of business hours. Debates about abolishing or permanently keeping DST have occurred within the EU, but Finland currently continues to observe kesäaikaa.