Sharing the day

The annual event to celebrate the Finnish community shared it’s day with the struggling Japanese after a massive earthquake hit the country more than a week ago.

Thunder Bay’s Finnish community celebrated the 29th anniversary of St. Urho, who allegedly chased away grasshoppers from the grape crops back in Finland about 400 years ago. The anniversary traditionally begins the day before St. Patrick’s day. The Otava Male Choir held the anniversary at the Finlandia Club that was decorated to suit the occasion.

A number of people came out to walk in the short parade that travelled down Banning Street and back around onto Algoma Street and returned to the Finlandia Club.

However, this year the traditional Finnish event shared its day with those in Japan. A 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit the country on March 11 followed by a massive Tsunami that killed thousands of people.

Organizers put out a Canadian Red Cross Society donation box in support of the relief effort.
Markku Harju, president of the Otava Male Choir, said even though they are celebrating their Finnish community it’s important to remember that there are those who are suffering in the world.

"It’s sad what is happening there," Harju said. "We’re enjoying ourselves here but we want to remember them as well. Our whole world is helping them now and ours is a small contribution."

The event is special for the Finnish community because it marks the beginning of spring, he said.

Anu Fiddler came to Canada from Finland about 10 years ago and moved to Thunder Bay about a year ago. She came overseas to marry her husband, John. She said she hadn’t heard of St. Urho’s Day and wanted to see what the celebration was all about for herself.

Fiddler wore a Halloween costume that suited the occasion. The witch’s costume had plenty of green and purple that symbolises the grasshoppers and the grapes.

What made the event even more special for her was the chance to help those in need, she said.

"I think everyone should help everybody else," Fiddler said. "Fins have been helped in the war. It’s a humane thing to do and Japanese people are, I think, pretty similar people to us."