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When the Copper Country combines the celebration of St. Urho’s and St. Patrick’s Day this evening, they will be joined by a star of Finnish television.
Helsinki native Antti Holma is visiting several countries with a documentary film crew to see how Finnish people in other parts of the world are living.
Finnish TV Personality Antti Holma said, “There are a lot of people around the world who take the Finnish culture abroad kind of seriously, which is lovely. This community here is very active and I think it’s also very American in a way, in a very, very good way. It’s very active, very dynamic.”
Holma will be a guest at Friday night’s dance at the Finnish American Heritage Center.
Finnish-American Heritage Center Director Jim Kurtti said, “It’s a fundraiser dance for our Kivajat Dancers and this group keeps growing. There’s over 50 children now in the dance troupe, and so we’re celebrating St. Urho’s Day/St. Patrick’s Day because what else can we do in Hancock but celebrate both.”
Good thing Holma is an actor because he will be playing the Finnish-American mythological character of St. Urho, who once chased the grasshoppers out of Finland.
Holma said, “I’ve never heard of it in my life but I think it’s a brilliant story and I think I have the honor (Friday) to wear the St. Urho costume and chase the grasshoppers, which is going to be amazing.”
The St. Urho’s—St. Patrick’s Day Dance begins at 6:30pm.
