|
|
|
|
|
|
Since the first "observance" of St. Urho's Day in 1956, the celebration has spread far and wide. St. Urho's Day is now an officially declared holiday in all 50 states. At first it was confined to the upper Midwest, but it has crept west to Oregon, and even east across the Atlantic, all the way to Finland. There is now a St. Urho's Pub in Helsinki, where a yearly celebration takes place. Here are some other examples of St. Urho traditions and commemorations:
Statues of St. Urho have been erected in two places, both in Minnesota: Menahga (more about their celebration later), and Finland. In Menahga, the original statue was carved out of a block of oak, but it now resides in a mausoleum, and a 12-foot fiberglass replica stands alongside the east side of Hwy 71. In Finland, an 18-foot wooden "totem" of St Urho can be seen along Hwy 1.
In Rockville, Indiana, the Terre Vin Winery observes St. Urho's Day by serving Finnish bread and cookies to its patrons. In Butte Montana, followers of the mighty Urho have been known to commemorate the saint's day with singing, drinking, and dancing the schottische, "hopping as high as grasshoppers." Suomi College, on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, devotes its entire campus enrichment program during the week of St. Urho's Day to the celebration. Students bake Finnish rice pies and pulla (cardomom bread). They distribute donut seeds (which bear a close resemblance to Cheerios) and tell tall tales. In Calumet, Michigan, also on the UP, there is a St. Urho's Family Night celebration at the Finnish Center. After one lucky attendee is crowned and caped Grasshopper King, the children follow him on a march, chanting the famous Urho chant. A fellow named Charles R. Bomar, at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, has nominated St. Urho (whom he calls the Patron Saint of Grasshopper Management) to be the official mascot of The Orthopterists' Society (which is, apparently, a group of folks who study grasshoppers). Hood River County, Oregon, puts on a parade featuring locals dressed as grasshoppers. An Urhomobile (in reality, a VW Bug painted lime green & purple) rumbles down the street as everyone chants "Grasshopper, Grasshopper, go to hell!" (In Finnish, yet.) After the parade, everyone retires to their favorite bar and drinks - what else? - grasshoppers. A Finnish potluck dinner is followed by a tall-tale contest. All tales must be about St. Urho and be told in "Finnglish." Also in Hood River, a Republican state representative proposed a bill that would establish a Commission on Finnish Affairs, with members to be subject to confirmation by the reigning St. Urho's King and Queen, and the Knights of St. Urho. On the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, folks awaiting the return of St. Urho camp overnight in rutabaga patches. Others celebrate by taking saunas, playing snowshoe softball, and spinning stories of the savoir of the grapes. Celebrants dressed in purple and green wander from tavern to pub searching for St. Urho, consuming purple beer along the way. In the Lapland Lake area of the Adirondacks, folks offer thanks to St. Urho for saving the grape crop of Finland from disaster by enjoying the Lusikka Viesti (grape-on-a-spoon race), Grasshopper Hoppett Loppett (3-legged ski race), and Kyykka (a Finnish ice game). There is also a Finnish Wife-Carrying Contest, as well as horse-drawn sleigh rides, arctic sled rides, and, weather permitting (!), an outdoor barbecue. In Duluth, Minnesota, folks dressed in purple and green can take to an open stage to share songs and poems written in Urho's honor. Parades and events are planned all over the city, capped off by purple and green fireworks on the shores of Lake Superior. Finnish bread and pea soup are consumed by revelers, and grasshopper races are planned (although with humans dressed as grasshoppers, rather than the insects themselves - there are none to be found at this time of year). There is also a St. Urho Poker Run, a game played by visiting local businesses. Music is the highlight of the day, with a Finnish chorus and a well-known Finnish accordionist performing. 
Nowhere is the celebration more festive than in Menahga, Minnesota, "The Home of St. Urho." Menahgans celebrate with a 2-day event, kicked off on Friday night with a talent show at the high school. Saturday's events begin with a pancake breakfast. At noon, the mayor makes a proclamation at the statue of St. Urho, and crowns the King and Queen of St. Urho's Day (usually, a "mature" couple). The coronation is followed by the Changing of the Guards: volunteers dressed in layers of long underwear strip down to the last layer, and trade clothes with the other "guards," while being cheered on by women dressed as grasshoppers. A short parade follows - perhaps 5 or 10 minutes. The parade started as a practical joke. Eventually local area organizations and businesses actually started showing up to march, and when the Menahga High School Band got involved, it became an official event. After the parade comes the golf tournament on iced-over Spirit Lake. Participants are only allowed to bring one club, and a hole-in-one on the first hole nets the lucky golfer $200. The festival ends with a mojakka supper (Finnish beef soup), accompanied by lots of Finnish flatbread.
And in Baltimore, Maryland, we celebrate like this. St. Urho lore is spreading far and wide. If you're interested in exploring further, below is a list of links to other sites related to the Finnish folk hero: |
 |
Contents | St. Urho's Day | Mmmm...Chocolate! Recycle | Eve's Story | Etc. Critic's Corner | My $1.59 Worth | Point Of View Past Issues | E-Mail Me All information © 1998-99 by the WebGoddess. No portion of this site may be copied without permission. | |