Saturday 10am-3pm
by Jovette Hiltunen
Saint Urho's Tay (as it is pronounced by our Finnish-English members) is an especially important day. After all we must make sure all the grasshoppers (crasshoppers) leave those crapes (grapes) alone. So, ve get effery one togeter and ve celebrate da end of the pests. So, yes that is how we do it in our little town of Finns at our local Zion Lutheran Church hall on Sunday in March. We bring together some folks to reenact the way St. Urho and of course his poy (boy) and his wife (the Grape Princess) made sure that the grasshoppers got out of town and didn't hurt the grapes. It's a play on the American's celebration of St. Patrick's Day and it's a day of great fun.
Members are treated to the Ode to Saint Urho:
Ooksie, kooksie coolama vee,
Saint Urho is ta poy for me!
He sase out ta hoppers as pig as birds.
Neffer peefor half I Hurd dose words!
He reely told dose pugs of kreen,
Braffest Finn I offer seen!
The recitation was wonderful and the laughter was palpable. All the Oinonens, (Wayne, Niles, and William) enjoyed playing their parts. Waynes vaimo was a beautiful Grape Princess. And, of course, the grasshoppers were outta here. But the weather this year has been tough and suddenly we saw a few stray grasshoppers in the fields. What should we do? How can we help our poy? Yes, we will set up an opportunity for everyone to help Saint Urho. On each table there was a bag and in the bag was one or two of these stray grasshoppers. Also there was string and tape and paperclips and other interesting things. Each group at the table got busy designing a way to trap and eradicate these stray grasshoppers. You can see from the pictures that we had lots of good ideas. We will no longer be seeing any grasshoppers in our grape fields here in Fairport Harbor.
A beautiful cake and some lovely memories were shared of our curator who passed over the winter holidays. We sorely miss her and remember her through this cake as each year she bought the St. Urho cake for our celebration. Suzanne Jokela enjoyed the party but little did anyone know that she was having her own special birthday party with all of us. Every year as we go forward we will remember our curator, Suzanne, for her gifts of hard work, Finnishness, and love to our museum. May Suzanne Rest In Peace knowing that she has left her mark on the FHM.
