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Happy St. Urho's Day!

Started by Mark M, March 16, 2005, 04:02:20 PM

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Mark M

We used to have a big celebration on this day when I lived da UMn (Upper Minnesota). My Finnlander Yooper uncle was one of the organizers and was usually the master of ceremonies, he could speak this Finn dialect perfectly and it would put us on the floor laughing so hard. He's gone now but many fond memories live on. I'm sure Chet knows what this is all about.

Mark


Ode to Saint Urho
 
Ooksie kooksie coolama vee
- Santia Urho is ta poy for me!
- He sase out ta hoppers as pig as birds
- Neffer peefor haff I hurd dose words!
- He reely told dose pugs of kreen
- Braaffest finn I effer seen!
- Some celebrate for St. Pat unt hiss nakes
- Putt Urho poyka kot what it takes.
- He got tall and trong from feelia sour
- Unt ate culla moyakka effery hour.
- Tat's why day guy could sase does peetles
- What crew as thick as chack bine needles.
- So let's give a cheer in hower pest vay
- On this 16th of March, St. Urho's Tay!

The Legend

One of the lesser known, but extraordinary legends of ages past is the legend of St. Urho - patron saint of the Finnish vineyard workers.
Before the last glacial period wild grapes grew with abundance in the area now known as Finland. Arhceologists have uncovered evidence of this scratched on the thigh bones of the giant bears that once roamed northern Europe. Th wild grapes were threatened by a plagud of grasshoppers until St. Urho banished the lot of them with a few selected Finnish words.

In the memory of this impressive demonstration of the Finnish language, Finnish people celebrate on March 16., the day before St. Patricks day. It tends to serve as a reminder that St. Pat's day is just around the corner and is thus celebrated by squares. At sunrise on March 16. Finnish women and children dressed in royal purple and nile green gather around the shores of the many lakes in Finland and chant what St. Urho chanted many years ago: "Heinasirkka, heinasirkka, menetaalta hiiteen." (Translated: "Grasshopper, grasshopper, go away!")

Adult male, (people, not grasshoppers) dressed in green costumes gather on the hills overlooking the lakes, listen to the chant and then kicking out like grasshoppers, they slowly disappear to change costumes from green to purple. Th celebration ends with singing and dancing polkas and schottisches and drinking grape juice. Though these activities may occur in varying sequences.

Color for the day is royal purple and nile green.

Paul_H

Mark,

I knew an old Finn named Esko that talked like that and would get mad at me when I couldn't understand him. The first time we met was when I swamped for him on a tank drill.I'd never been around one before and when it came time to add another steel he held up a pair of gloves and said something that I couldn't make out over the sound of the Jimmy engine.

Said I didn't need them and then put my hands on the coupler to spin it off.Realised right then that he was trying to warn me that it was frying pan hot.  :D

He passed on 10 years ago but reading your post has got me thinking of him.

Happy St. Urho's Day!
Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

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