Finlandia’s campus was filled with the buzz of midwinter spirit as patrons gathered at FinnU’s Finnish American Heritage Center and North Wind Books to celebrate the return of Heikinpäivä in 2023. Following the traditional parade, festivities on campus included wife-carrying competitions, kicksleds, a costumed circle dance, and a market.
Check out some of our favorite moments from all of the activities!
Finlandia celebrates halfway point of winter with community
One of the events headlining Saturday’s festival was Karhunpeijäiset – a circle dance with costumed parade participants.
After a two-year hiatus, Finlandia University was again able to host the patrons of Heikinpäivä at the Finnish American Heritage Center and North Wind Books to celebrate all the quirks and qualities of the Finnish people and their descendants in the region. This festival, which has been taking place mid-winter for more than [...]
HANCOCK, Mich. — Keeping with a tradition that began nearly a decade ago, the Finnish American Heritage Center will host an intimate ceremony to commemorate Juhannus (Midsummer) at 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 24.
The event will be highlighted by the dedication of the Midsummer pole, which has stood adjacent to the FAHC annually each summer since it was first erected in 2014. Earlier in the day, members of the City of Hancock’s Finnish Theme Committee will gather to decorate the [...]
As it has every year since Finland became independent in 1917, Finlandia University is celebrating Finland’s Independence Day. This year, since it’s Finland’s 100th anniversary of achieving independence, the university has planned a gala concert that can truly be described as a once-in-a-lifetime event.
The concert will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 2 at Michigan Technological University’s Rozsa Center, with a coffee social one hour prior. The headliner for this event is Minneapolis-based and renowned [...]