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 [...]
Sirkka Tuomi Holm was born just days before women earned the right to vote in the United States, a point her father considered vitally important and reminded her of it frequently. Her activism started then, and didn’t ever stop.
Holm, who died in October 2020 at age 100, was a walking, talking, living history book. From her grandfather fighting for the Reds during the Finnish Civil War, to her immigrant parents’ involvement in labor strikes, to being trailed by the FBI [...]
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 [...]