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Menahga, MN
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Finland, MN
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Closeup of the
Mehahga, MN statue |
The statue of
St. Urho in Menahga, Minnesota has the following ode engraved on the statue,
written by Sulo Havumaki:
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"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. Archeologists have uncovered evidence of
this scratched on the thigh bones of the giant bears that once roamed
northern Europe. The grapes were threatened by a plague of grasshoppers
until St. Urho banished the lot of them with a few selected Finnish words.
"In memory of this impressive demonstration of the Finnish language, Finnish people celebrate on March 16,
the day before St. Patrick's 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. The 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."
This is the "official" legend of St. Urho - inscribed on the plaque
on the first statue erected to the Finnish folk hero, in Menahga,
Minnesota. |
In reality, none of it is true. St. Urho never existed, but you
have to admit that it's a great excuse for a party. And if you celebrate St.
Patrick's Day too, you can stretch the celebration over a two-day period. But
beware - those that consume too much purple and green beer have been known to
see visions of giant grasshoppers looming on the horizon!
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