HANCOCK, Mich. (WZMQ) – Finnish American culture was on full display this weekend during Hancocks Heikinpaiva festival.
It might seem crazy to jump into a freezing cold pool in the middle of winter, but for anyone who attended the Heikinpaiva festival it made perfect sense.
“It’s nice the waters good and cold and the saunas warm, it’s good to have both,” said John Mazur, a Michigan Tech Student.
The polar plunge, as it’s referred to, is just a small part of the Finnish American celebration known as Heikinpaiva.The name comes from Finland, where every name has a day assigned to it. In older Finnish culture Heikin and Paiva were known as the halfway mark of winter.
“We took old folk sayings and we created a Finnish-American holiday,” remarked Jim Kurtti, the Honorary Consul of Finland for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The celebration exposes Finnish culture to those who may have never experienced it before. It also allows Finnish Americans to connect and learn more about their heritage. Live music can be found, and food is served inside the finnish american heritage center.
“Seeing the smile on peoples faces, the older people just love that they can be together, hear the music, and celebrate their culture, and the young people find a way to connect with their identity,” added Kurtti.
If attendees want to get out of the cold weather, they can enjoy a traditional tori, which is an open marketplace. over 25 vendors were on hand selling everything from hand sewn ornaments to baked goods.
“I went in and found out how much was in there, it was really great,” commented Erin O’brien, who was at her first Heikinpaiva festival.
To learn more about the Finnish American Heritage Center visit here.
