Some mythical saints became part of our religious vocabulary over the centuries, like Saint George the dragon slayer. Others, like Saint Urho, are complete fabrications that sprang fully formed as a joke from the minds of two Finns in the 1950s.

Supposedly the patron saint of Finnish vineyard workers, Saint Urho drove the grasshoppers from Finland. Several small towns in Minnesota celebrate Saint Urho Day on March 16. I think they have been grasshopper free for years. 😀

Many Finnish immigrants to the United States settled in Minnesota and worked in the mining and timber industries.