Finland

The swastika is an ancient Finnish symbol (dating back to the Iron Age or further) and therefore commonly used in arts and crafts of the period of nationalism - 19th century to the early 20th century. Because the idea of Finland as an independent nation was so new, the need for powerful symbols that reinforced this idea was even greater. The swastika was dynamic, exotic and folkloristic - perfect for art with a message in the late 19th century. Artists who wanted to evoke a "national consciousness" incorporated the symbol in their paintings.
Traditional decorative patterns in Carelian handiwork sometimes include the swastika. Swastika is hakaristi ("hookcross") or vääräpää ("crooked head") in Finnish.
The swastika of the Finnish Defence Forces has its own story. The blue FAF swastika was originally the symbol of luck of the family of Count von Rosen, who donated to the Finnish "White Army" its first plane,a Morane-Saulnier L fighter aircraft, in 1918 during the Civil War. It was adopted as the official national marking of the Finnish Air Forces and later on, the Army. The Finnish women's voluntary defence organization, the Lotta Svärd, also used a swastika as its symbol and it also still appears in many Finnish medals and decorations, in a visually understated manner.