Happy St. Urho's Day!

[Big Fin]

To all of you who share my Finnish heritage, you will know the signficance of today. Hell with those drunken Irish guys who will be making fools of themselves tomorrow, over some guy named Patty.

St. Urho, cousin of Thor, and hunter of bears, is a much more important figure to those of us who grew up with saunas, sisu, and the many other traditions our families brought to this country when the migration of Finns happened in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Long live St. Urho!

 

[tarheel]

Modern Irish blessing: "May the wind at your back not come from the corned beef and cabbage".

 

[noharleyyet]

....not from yahoo (for ernesto)

The legend of St. Urho originated in Northern Minnesota in the 1950s. However, there are differing opinions as to whether it began with the fables created by Sulo Havumaki of Bemidji, or the tongue-in-cheek tales told by Richard Mattson of Virginia. Either way, the legend has grown among North Americans of Finnish descent to the point where St. Urho is known and celebrated across the United States and Canada, and even in Finland.

St. Urho's Day is celebrated on March 16th, the day prior to the better known feast of some minor saint from Ireland, who was alleged to have driven the snakes from that island.

The legend of St. Urho says he chased the grasshoppers out of ancient Finland, thus saving the grape crop and the jobs of Finnish vineyard workers. He did this by uttering the phrase: "Heinäsirkka, heinäsirkka, mene täältä hiiteen" (roughly translated: "Grasshopper, grasshopper, go to Hell!"). His feast is celebrated by wearing the colors Royal Purple and Nile Green. St. Urho is nearly always represented with grapes and grasshoppers as part of the picture.

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[JCS]

My wife has lots of Finnish blood in her. I alway laugh at her when I watch Grumpy Old Men.

 

[onpoint]

Hey Fin, I grew up next door to Eino Aho. When I was a kid, my best buddy's last name was Lehtola. I'd break out the Finlander jokes, but.......And I wish a lot of folks could pronounce Rapala

 

[Moosie]

I thought you were refering to the day my Hommies had for their girlfriends back in da hood..... You'd always celabrate Yer'Ho day or she'd pull out da gat and cap ya..

 

[stillkickin]

All the flags are flying round here! Another perfect SU day, haven't seen a grasshopper all day..