Celebrate St. Urho’s Tay today

(This poem is written in “Finn-glish.” It’s most fun when read aloud.)

Ode to Saint Urho

             by Gene McCavic and Richard Mattson from Virginia, Minnesota

Ooksi, kooksi, coolama vee,

Santia Urho is ta poy for me!

He sase out ta hoppers pig as pirds,

Neffer peefor haff I hurd tose words.

He reely tolt tose pugs of kreen.

Braffest Finn I effer seen!

Some celebrate for St. Pat unt hiss nakes,

Putt Urho poyka kot what it takes.

He kot tall and trong from feelia* sour

Unt ate kala moyakka** effery hour.

Tat’s why tat kuy could sase toes peetles

What krew as thick as chack bine neetles.

So let’s give a cheer in hower pest vay.

On Sixteenth of March, St. Urho’s Tay!

Translation:

One, two, three — five,

St. Urho is the boy for me!

He chased those hoppers big as birds,

Never before have I heard those words.

He really told those bugs of green.
Bravest Finn I’ve ever seen.

Some celebrate for St. Pat and his snakes

But Urho, boy, has got what it takes!

He grew tall and strong from feelia* sour

And ate kala moyakka** every hour.

That’s why that guy could chase those beetles

That grew as thick as jack-pine needles.

So let’s give a cheer in our best way,

On the 16th of March,

St. Urho’s Day.

* feelia is a sour yogurt

**kala mojakka is a stew made with fish (other spellings include culla moiakka and calla moyakka). And it has its own website.

Nikki

St. Urho celebrations abound

The town of Finland, Minnesota, will celebrate St. Urho’s Tay with a season opener for hoppers March 15 and a scavenger hunt March 16. This year’s theme is Hunting and Fishing.

Another Minnesota town, Menagha, plans a pancake breakfast March 15, the changing of the guards at noon, followed by the parade. At 1 p.m. folks can join bar stool races and a golf (kols) tournament on the lake, weather permitting. Last year they held a mojakka cookoff (mojakka is a stew — with its own website).

This St. Urho website lists festivities across the Midwest — among them are Finlayson, Minnesota, Barnes, Wisconsin, and Thunder Bay, Ontario. The dates span back to 2010. (Hope they update in time for this year’s festivities.) 

What celebrations do you know about?

Nikki