siviilikalenteri

Siviilikalenteri, or civil calendar, is the Finnish term for the dating system used in everyday life and civil administration. It provides the framework for days, months, and years in non-religious contexts, including work, education, government records, and business.

Historically, Finland, like Sweden, adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1753. To align with the new system, 11 days were skipped in February 1753 (from February 17 directly to March 1). Since then, the siviilikalenteri has followed Gregorian rules for leap years and month lengths, and the civil day typically begins at midnight.

The siviilikalenteri is distinguished from the kirkkokalenteri, the church calendar, which is used to organize liturgical seasons and saints’ days. In everyday life, the civil calendar is used for dating, civil timekeeping, and official documents, while religious observances may be noted alongside the civil date but are governed by ecclesiastical calendars. Holidays may coincide, but the naming and emphasis can differ between secular and religious contexts.

Standard features include the 12-month year, the varying month lengths of the Gregorian calendar, and leap years every four years, with century years not divisible by 400 excluded from being leap years. In modern Finland the siviilikalenteri remains the default framework for birth dates, legal records, calendars, and scheduling.

Related topics include the Gregorian calendar and the church calendar (kirkkokalenteri), which together illustrate the distinction between civil and liturgical timekeeping.