I hope the translation in the title is correct. I had to look it up. --- A long time ago, St. Urho stood atop a hill after consuming sour milk and fish soup and shouted "Heinäsirkka, heinäsirkka, mene täältä hiiteen!" (roughly translated: "Grasshopper, grasshopper, go to Hell!" or something similar to that; I can't even begin to pronounce it, so don't ask) before he rushed forward and drove the insects from the vineyards of Finland. Giant grasshoppers, large enough to skewer with a pitchfork. Not quite big enough to star in movies with Peter Graves, but formidable enough in their own right. Well, not quite... It's made up. The story of St. Urho was made up in 1956 by a deparment store worker in Minnesota to boast to his Irish friends who were rather proud of their heritage and their upcoming day of celebration. Originally, it was frogs that Urho (Finnish for hero, also the name of the Finnish president at the time, Urho Kekkonen) drove from the vineyards. It was to be celebrated on March 24, but it was moved back to the day before St. Patrick's Day. Just because. Aside from the original tale of driving frogs out of the vineyards, there are a few variants of the story, most notably the idea that Urho and st. Patrick might have been the same person. Since then, St. Urho's Day has gained a following in the United States and Canada, particularly around the Great Lakes, where a significant amount of Finns (or at least those of Finnish descent) can be found outside of Finland, yours truly included. The only other place I know of with a Finnish population would be around Hannover, Germany. But I'm not sure if St. Urho's day is celebrated there at all. It could be. It's also found its way back to Finland, but to what extent, I don't know. The "official" colors are Royal Purple and Nile Green. Beer is usually involved. Sometimes it's green. Sometimes it's purple. But colored beer is optional. Many pasties are also consumed (if you've never had them, you're missing out). Other activites include planting doughnut seeds (um... Cheerios) and re-enacting Urho's triumph over the grasshoppers. Usually following the consumption of the aforementioned beer. Unfortunately, I know very little of Finnish culture or history, so I don't know whether or not there's any actual truth to the legend of St. Urho or not. I don't think it matters much one way or the other. Any way you look at it though, it's another reason to celebrate this weekend - if you're in need a reason to celebrate. Plus, it's a way to get a head start on your Irish friends (or those who are Irish for a day), their green beer and shamrocks. Me, I have the pleasure (?) of being of both Finnish and Irish descent, so I have legitimate claim to both holidays. Not that I go out to celebrate or anything. I lead a rather boring life. --- I'm not really sure if I like how this pic turned out, but I spent a lot more time on it than I had planned, then getting rid of most of what I had put in at the last minute. But really, it's not so much the picture that's important. Besides, I have a purple dragon chasing a grasshopper, not some guy shouting and waving a pitchfork. Not quite the same thing.