How the Finns invented a non-existent saint to drink with the Irish (4 photos)

Saint Urho is a completely official fictional saint, who was invented by Finns living in America in the 50s of the last century. The reason is very funny. Irish Catholics lived nearby and celebrated St. Patrick's Day on March 17, drinking, eating, and having fun. The Finns were envious because they, Protestants, were not supposed to celebrate this holiday.





Sculpture of Saint Urho in Minnesota (he is holding a huge grasshopper)

The solution, of course, is brilliant in its simplicity and spontaneity. The Finns came up with Saint Urho, who supposedly once drove out either grasshoppers, locusts, or toads (or maybe all of them together) from Finnish lands and thereby saved the harvest.

Let us remember that St. Patrick, according to legend, expelled snakes from Ireland (although this is recognized as an allegory meaning the expulsion of paganism from Ireland), which is what the now global St. Patrick's Day is dedicated to.

But the funniest thing is that the Finns set their holiday not for March 17th in order to drink together with the Irish, but a day earlier.

When the Irish just start, the Finns are already going to get a hangover. Fortunately, similar “traditions” were invented - drinking beer (and the same one - green), having a snack and having fun. There are also similar paraphernalia in use - say, green wigs.



A plaque with the legend of Saint Urho placed on a sculpture of him in Minnesota

In fact, even the name of the specific person who became the “author” of Saint Urho is known - this is a certain Richard Mattson, a representative of the Finnish diaspora.

True, later the Finns themselves began to argue about who invented the holiday - according to the second version, it was a certain Kenneth Brist, a teacher from Wisconsin.

One way or another, the most famous sculpture depicting Saint Urho and a tablet with the legend itself is located in Minnesota, in the city of Menahga.

In any case, it was in 1956, when a politician named Urho Kekkonen took the post of president of distant (for Americans) Finland. It seems that this very fact became the reason for choosing the name of the new saint.





Young and vigorous Urho Kekkonen, future President of Finland

They say that Urho Kekkonen had a very “cheerful” biography - an extramarital affair, a love of drinking, and in his youth he had a good sports career (national record in high jump, all sorts of championships in running, long jump, etc.)

His victory in the elections to the post of head of the country was also partly unexpected and striking. Kekkonen was elected president with a difference of 151 to 149 votes (they had an electoral college of 300 people voting there).

By the way, it is believed that the word “urho” in Finnish also means “hero” or “brave”.

The legend itself has changed and been elaborated over time, and now it has certain “postulates”.

Let's say, it is decided to believe that Saint Urho expelled and deported living creatures from the country (which ones exactly - they are still arguing when there is a desire) with the help of the spell Heinäsirkka, heinäsirkka, mene täältä helveteen!



Symbolism of St. Urho`s Day includes a grasshopper - this is the main version in the dispute about who could destroy the entire Finnish harvest

This translates as “Grasshopper, grasshopper, go from here to hell!” - perhaps now this is a real toast with which hot American Finns raise their mugs on the eve of St. Patrick's Day, thereby honoring their fictional saint.