St. Urho

The Finn Camp started celebrating St. Urho on 1966 with a party on Saturday on or near March 16th. with a selection of the King and Queen for the year.

The legend of St. Urho originated in Northern Minnesota in the 1950s. However, there are differing opinions as to whether it began with the fables created by Sulo Havumaki of Bemidji, or the tongue-in-cheek tales told by Richard Mattson of Virginia. Either way, the legend has grown among North Americans of Finnish descent to the point where St. Urho is known and celebrated across the United States and Canada, and even in Finland. 

St. Urho’s Day is celebrated on March 16th, the day prior to the better known feast of some minor saint from Ireland, who was alleged to have driven the snakes from that island. 

The legend of St. Urho says he chased the grasshoppers out of ancient Finland, thus saving the grape crop and the jobs of Finnish vineyard workers. He did this by uttering the phrase: “Heinäsirkka, heinäsirkka, mene täältä hiiteen” (roughly translated: “Grasshopper, grasshopper, go to Hell!”). His feast is celebrated by wearing the colors Royal Purple and Nile Green. St. Urho is nearly always represented with grapes and grasshoppers as part of the picture.

Saint Urho has been recognized with proclamations in all 50 states. Minnesota Governor Wendell Anderson issued a proclamation in his state, the unofficial home of Saint Urho, in 1975.

We hope you enjoy our effort to honor this mythical Finnish-American hero.

Pass St. Urho Kings and Queens

YearKingQueen
1966Ed NaaskoAnn Wiitala
1967Arne LeppiHelen Yeager
1968Elmer HanninenShirley Kujala
1969Archie BrownDelores Kansman
1970Walt NeimiHazel Satti
1971Archie HendricksonIria Connolly
1972Alex EklundEllen Holma
1973Jerry HaverstickGert Brandell
1974Harry KansmanRhea Sorrari
1975Roy WainioNancy Yogus
1976George TuorinViola Brown
1977Bilt PykonenSiiri Harerstick
1978Hank MackLorna Kansman
1979Edwin ElkhillSophie Kilponen
1980Karl SanttiVi Pietila
1981Herm BrandellTina Santti
1982Ernest KalistNorma Dernberger
1983Don JacobsonMatha Tourin
1984Arnie SoberholmLinda Garland
1985Dick LoveAune Klemola
1986Ross FogleElaine Jacobson
1987Mike GarlandMarie Fogle
1993Bucky ZwiezLeslie McMahon
1994Eric HolmLynne Zwiez
1995Wayne JokinenCarol Melancon
1996Russell MaddickCindi Maddick
1997Keith MaddickLiz Holm
1998Wayne RentolaGinger Wing
1999Ray MalilaGinger Wing
2000Steve MelanconLinda Taipala
2001Jimmy LeppiPatti Leppi
2002Paul SaloRobyn Jokinen
2003George AhoSherry Franco
2004Mike HonkaLaura Mazur
2005Guy SwansonTammie King
2006Reino SolinPamela Linick
2007Dick PypeDenise Dykstra
2008Larry GoodenMary Barie
2009Erick LeskinenJoni Sennhenn
2010Gavin WingLauri Taipala
2011Denny SennhennKaren Pype
2012Greg PeltoLinda Gooden
2013Mike JokinenMattie O’Brien
2014Dan LinickKim Ziegler
2015Robert JohnsonLeah Paukovits
2016Jim ZieglerAmber Martin
2017Jim MartinKathy Bretschneider
2018Bruce FoxworthyMary Burck
2019-2021Steve NiemiBeverly Jokinen

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