Heikki Lunta has arrived just in time to take part in tomorrow’s Heikinpäivä celebration. The big day features a parade, a tori, and festivities on the Quincy Green.
Temperatures will hover in the low single digits and the wind chill will make it feel like it’s minus 30. Since this is a celebration of winter, Dave Maki of the Finnish Theme Committee says the cold is a welcome part of the day.
“We find the more wintry the day is the more apt people are to come out and celebrate winter. The number zero can be intimidating when it comes to weather,” said Maki. “Really it’s no different than most other things we do here in the wintertime. People go out on a zero degree day to ice fish. I know some people who will sit in a football stadium for three hours and be proud that they sat through a zero degree football game so why not come out and have some fun and enjoy that weather?”
Festivities at the Finnish American Heritage Center and the Quincy Green begin at 10am and the parade steps off in front of the Scott Building in Hancock at 11am.