Moomin Day

What Is Moomin Day?

Every August 9th is "Moomin Day." The date marks the birthday of Tove Jansson (1914-2001), the Finnish author and artist who created the Moomins. Japanese fans had long celebrated Moomin Day on June 3rd, based on the wordplay "Mu (6) - mi (3) - n," but in 2005 -- the 60th anniversary of the first Moomin book -- the date was changed to August 9th so that it could be celebrated worldwide, and the Finnish rights holder agreed. Today it is registered with the Japan Anniversary Association as an anniversary established by Rights & Brands Inc., which manages the Moomin license in Japan.

How the Moomin Stories Began

The Moomin stories were first written during the Second World War.

• The first book: The Moomins first appeared in a novel in "The Moomins and the Great Flood," published in Swedish in 1945. The Moomin novels eventually grew to nine books.
• Stories written in Swedish: Tove Jansson grew up in a Swedish-speaking family in Finland and wrote the Moomin novels in Swedish. "Moomin" is "Mumin" in Swedish and "Muumi" in Finnish.

The Surprising Difficulty of Choosing a Date

According to the official Moomin website in Japan, the people involved struggled to choose a date in 2005.

• The Moomins' birthday: The original books say almost nothing about the characters' birthdays, so this idea was dropped.
• The publication date of the first book: They could only find out that it was published at the end of 1945, not the exact date.
• Midsummer: The Moomins celebrate it grandly, but its date changes every year, so it was not adopted.

In the end, they settled on the birthday of the Moomins' creator, Tove Jansson.

Moomin Trivia

• Going global through the newspaper: From 1954, a Moomin comic strip ran in London's "Evening News," making the Moomins known around the world.
• A girlfriend with no name: Moomintroll's girlfriend has no personal name -- in the original books she is called "the Snork Maiden." "Snork" is the name of her species.
• Moomins are not hippos: They are often mistaken for hippos, but the Moomins are fictional creatures called "trolls."
• Ties to Japan: Hannō City in Saitama Prefecture is home to Akebono Children's Forest Park, modeled on Moominvalley, and Moominvalley Park, which opened in 2019.
• The first celebration: On August 9, 2005, a "Moomin 60th Anniversary Gathering" was held in Tokyo and drew many fans.

How to Spend Moomin Day

• Reread a favorite Moomin novel or picture book
• Try "The Moomins and the Great Flood," the first book in the series
• Think about which Moominvalley resident you are most like
• Enjoy Nordic food or design and imagine a Finnish summer

A Slow Day with the Friends of Moominvalley

In Moominvalley, residents with very different personalities live together and accept one another's differences. August 9th is a day to celebrate Tove Jansson's birthday and revisit the Moomin stories for the first time in a while.