St. Urho’s Day a beloved Butte tradition on eve of St. Patrick's Day

It's time to raid your closet for some purple and green gear as you plan to celebrate St. Urho’s Day on Monday.

Whether your destination is the Helsinki Bar or Sláinte Butte America Pub, there’s much to see and do.

To set the story straight, it was the Finnish of Minnesota, not the citizens of Finland, that were credited for conjuring up the legendary fictional character St. Urho in the 1950s.

According to lore, the “saintly” man was brave enough to save the country’s tasty grapes by ridding Finland of its ravenous grasshoppers.

Like St. Patrick’s Day, the holiday has become a beloved Butte tradition and is also celebrated each year in several parts of the United States and Canada.

In Butte, the traditional St. Urho’s Day celebration is at Finntown’s Helsinki Bar, 402 E. Broadway St., on Monday. Doors open at 11 a.m., and the crowning of king and queen is at 6 p.m.

Sláinte Butte America Pub is also planning a special celebration for St. Urho’s Day with a blessing from Father Patrick Beretta at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, and live music at 7 p.m. with Beat Deaf, a Helena-based folk-funk-rock band.