March 17 is the feast of St. Patrick, who is said to have driven the snakes out of Ireland. On March 16, some people celebrate St. Urho, who is said to have helped Finland in a similar way by driving out:
A) Bears, which had decimated the reindeer population B) Grasshoppers, which threatened to ruin the grape crop ü C) Invading Norwegians, whose army was poised for victory D) Snakes, just like St. Patrick
Although St. Urho’s “legend” is set in Finland, this unhistorical saint was actually concocted in Minnesota in the 1950s as a pretext for a Finnish-American celebration to rival St. Patrick’s Day. The story goes that in ancient times, grapes grew plentifully in Finland. When a horde of grasshoppers threatened the crop, St. Urho, waving his pitchfork, drove them off by chanting “Heinäsirkka, Heinäsirkka, mene täältä hiiteen!” (Grasshopper, Grasshopper, go away!). The colors of St. Urho’s Day are purple and green, for the grapes and grasshoppers respectively. Celebrations include parades, polkas and, of course, quantities of grape juice and wine.
