“The parade gets shorter every year,” commented one hardy woman at Saturday’s St. Urho Days.
A winter storm blustered into the Menahga celebration, dumping around a foot of snow and bringing gusty winds and treacherous roads.
“Sisu” is a Finnish term that can be roughly translated into English as strength of will, determination and perseverance in the face of adversity. It was on full display this weekend as Menahga residents attempted to honor their patron saint.
Shannon Geisen/Enterprise
According to legend, St. Urho drove giant grasshoppers out of Finland, saving the country’s vineyards. He is typically honored the day before a well-known Irish patron saint.
Arlene and Russ Rasmussen were crowned the St. Urho Queen and King on Friday night. They were nominated by last year’s royalty.
On Saturday, precisely at noon, Mayor Liz Olson read the annual proclamation at the feet of the St. Urho statue. She praised Finns for settling in Menahga and “continually honoring their heritage with great fortitude and enviable sense of humor as recipients of numerous amusing and unusual tales of Finnish endeavors.”
Olson couldn’t recall festivities ever being canceled due to weather. Only the COVID pandemic affected St. Urho Days, she said. “But not snow.”
A diminished number of Nytes arrived for the “changing of the guard.” The storm prohibited other Nytes from reaching the goofy ceremony.
Shannon Geisen/Enterprise
The chilly weather did, however, curtail the disrobing and swapping of silly garb and wild wigs. Before reaching their green-and-purple skivvies, the Nytes announced, “Nope. Too cold. We’re done.”
Their antics, set to the tune of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” from the Disney movie “Frozen,” drew laughter from the handful of attendees.
Shannon Geisen is editor of the Park Rapids Enterprise.
