THE LEGEND of St.URHO

Not to be outdone, Americans of Nordic ancestry took it upon themselves in the 1950’s to challenge the March supremacy of the Irish and their saint with the celebration of St. Urho’s Day on March

16th .

Originating in the hinterlands of Minnesota thanks to the efforts of a Finnish-American dept. store owner and one Professor Sulo Havumaki of Bemidji State University in Minnesota.

St. Urho is credited with having saved the Finnish wine-grape harvest threatened by a plague of locusts. Legend has it that St. Urho (whose names translates in English to "hero") raised his staff and bellowed the now famous Finnish phrase, "Grasshopper, grasshopper, go to hell!" thereby ridding Finland of the insect and saving the grapes.

Some skeptics doubt the existence of St. Urho, whose holiday is now officially recognized in all 50 states and has even made it’s way back to Finland.

Naysayers point out that there is no Finnish wine-grape crop and that the country is still occupied by grasshoppers. Others remark on the uncanny similarities to the legend of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland ( a country which, by the way, probably was never inhabited by snakes).

Nevertheless, Finns and would-be Finns celebrate Urho’s feast by donning the saint’s green and purple colors and drinking grape juice.

Others re-enact Urho’s miracle by shouting his famous command to the insects, while some rituals even go so far as to arm members of a ceremonial guard with pitchforks and chainsaws in order to cut down giant grasshoppers.

So, my friends this is the legend of St. Urho-

Finnish Links

Finland-Suomi

Finland, Minnesota

University of Minnesota-Finnish Page

Interesting Finnish info source (plus more links)

Danny Kaye in a Helsinki suana -1955 ( real player needed for audio) this is great!

"Finnish Village" Summer Camp at Bemidji, Minnesota

Everyday's A Holiday

Roadside America.com-Minnesota

"Closeness without conflict exists only in the cemetery."

unknown author

<br><bgsound src="clarinetpolka.mid" controls="smallconsole"><br>

midi playing is "the clarinet polka"

see Urho's statue at Menahga,Minnesota USA

return back to uhro's page

"finnish stuff" and "SISU"

BACKGROUND by MONA "hyva herra"