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The use of household pennants is a common tradition in Finland. A household pennant (Finnish: isännänviiri, Swedish: husbondsvimpel) can be flown whenever there is no flag day and it is traditionally a means of telling that the "master of the house" is at home. These pennants have a long, narrow, triangular shape. Length of the pennant is usually half the length of the flag pole and the width of the base is roughly one tenth the pennants length. A crossbar is attached to the base of the triangle which is linked the pole via a single lanyard. It gives the pennant the ability to revolve around its horizontal axis while flying. Thus, either side of the pennant may be seen and often symmetrical designs are used to avoid different mirroring.
Probably the most common design is the generally used blue-cross pennant, which is based on the flag of Finland. Unlike the national flag the blue-cross pennant and other household pennants are kept hoisted overnight. In addition to the traditional blue-cross and regional pennants there is a variety of designs of which any may be flown. These are usually family, city and municipality designs and designs reflecting a connection to a certain group.
Finnish regional household pennants
The different regions of Finland have been connected with some traditional colors (often from the coats of arms of the historical provinces of Finland and modern provinces), and these are often reflected in the household pennant. The pennants sometimes also incorporate the regional arm into the design. A common practice is to either fly the pennant of the region of residence or the pennant from which the family members come.