Protestors took to the streets of Thunder Bay to prove you can’t keep a good man, or his rake, down.
Armed with only a rake and a loud voice St. Urho saved Finland’s vineyards from grasshoppers, a feat celebrated every March 16. But recent research proves that Urho, which means “hero”, was actually instrumental in the collapse of the Soviet Union along with Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan. This information has been repressed for decades, unraveling a story of intrigue, drama and anger.
“They did this together but because of the jealousy of the population of Finland it was never told what really happened,” Urho’s right-hand-man Hermanni Hyppy Keikki said Saturday morning in front of the Hoito.
The grasshopper story barely scratches the surface of Urho’s exploits Keikki said. And while a parade in his honour might look like hundreds of the local Finnish population having fun, underneath it is rage that their hero’s tale hasn’t been told. Heikki said it is a rebellion.
“This parade is full of aggression and anger and things like that,” he said.
“It’s just silence around St. Urho but now we start to see especially here in Canada we are free to speak.”
Of course the rebellion is actually a parade to honour a man who never existed. It began more than 50 years ago in Minnesota as a way for Finns to poke fun at St. Patrick’s Day. Armed with signs saying things like “Hug a Finn, You’ll Live Longer” and a giant grasshopper, which may or may not be a fossil, people in purple and green use the day to have fun.
Birgit Buorela has been coming to every celebration since it began in Thunder Bay 31 years ago.
“Every year I like dressing in something different,” she said dressed as a bunch of grapes. “I started bringing my daughters here too.”
It’s a great way to celebrate Finnish culture Buorela said.
“You get to see all your friends and stuff and we’re trying to get rid of all the grasshoppers.”
