welcome Linnea, my sister was going to name her second daughter Ana Linnea, but she had so much trouble she stopped with just David and Amy. I have always liked that name. A little town just a short way from me just celebrated St Urho's day, I was wondering if you have ever heard of him, seeing as how he chased the grass hoppers out of Finland. It is okay if you never heard of him, he was invented a few decades ago to get back for the green beer on St Patrick's day I suppose.

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( ' ,') "don't eat green potatoes"
(> >) Last words of Mrs. Bertha Sperling
@( )_ )_

I really hadn't heard of him, so I did some internet research... It turns out it's just a joke or a competing legend made up to match St. Patricks day Someone made the whole story up probably from the base that our then president was called Urho Kekkonen, but theres not many other thruths in that story; It's so cold we don't have many grasshoppers and I've never heard of any finnish successful winyards
Our nation mainly focuses on celebrating peace, scientists and religious holidays, sadly...

Menahga, the little town I spoke of, has many Finnish people and they have a St Urho statue, a replica in fiberglass of the original chainsawed wooden one and they have a celebration every March 16th, it features the "changing of the guard" the town mayor and council take off their outer clothes revealing their purple dyed long underwear, put them in a pile, stir with a pitchfork and grab something to put on and hope it fits. It is a popular event for the local papers to take pictures of in a dreary time of the year. I think I remember the first St Urho celebration, and yes it was sort of a joke , but like most holidays if you need it you will keep it. The way St Patrick's day is celebrated in the States doesn't resemble the way it is celebrated in Ireland very much and I think that was part of why those guys came up with St Urho, too.

When I moved to New York Mills,Minnesota a while back my Aunt Connie Nevala told me I was moving to Suomalinen country. They still had a Finnish language newspaper there back then. When I was in grade school our lunchlady was Mrs. Laine and her name didn't rhyme with chain and the janitor was Mr. Mattson. The pastor who married my ex husband and me was Reverend Yliniemi, and I have another aunt named Cyndy Aho. I sometimes think about half my neighbors were of Finnish descent, Kivi, Kurtti, Saarinen, Pihalja, Kastama, Dormanen are just a few I remember.

() ()
( ' ,') "don't eat green potatoes"
(> >) Last words of Mrs. Bertha Sperling
@( )_ )_

The celebration sounds fun Its nice to know that some holidays, even if they are made up ones, have landed from us to another countries. I've heard that there are quite a few of finnish villages in the States. Some of my ancestors way back 60 years ago, left there for a better life, I hope they got it.

We finns are usually seen as gloomy and dark people and somehow I think that it might be true as we don't usually just make stuff up or go with the flow and the humour is usually dark and twisted too... Ofcourse things are changing now as the world is opening with the EU and everything. Still we're not very outgoing people, as a nation or as a stereo type I can see that many of us resemle the Winnie the Pohs Eeyore character thats more depressed and also drunk But the drinking might have positive affect on the shyness and make some people more outgoing.

I think US has quite a big impact on our country, as most of our tv programmes come from the States. Also our holiday culture nowadays is affected, Halloween is a big hit and our Christmas is starting to seem more and more elaborate with emphasis on the decorating. I don't really care for the Cristian holidays or their fate as my family has always been a bit pagan or atheist and I've never belonged to a church.

Not sure how to do this as I've not posted on a forum before.

1) what formed the motivational impetus for your chosen screenname?
VoxVeritas I THINK means truthful voice. Or something.
2) Are you male or female? (Asking because there has been quite of lot of confusion over this, on and off.)
Female
3) what age catagory and geographic location do you fall into?
Old, and North London
4) Have you seen any Discworld movies, did you like them and do you have faith in future productions being good, better or worse than current ones?
(note, this in no way shape or form asks about casting choices you'd like to see. i have a loaded rifle and i'm not afraid to use it.)
Not seen any of the TV films - I don't really watch too much tele.
5) who or how were you turned on to discworld/pratchett?
When I was 13 I was away for the weekend to a skateboarding weekend. I got hurt and couldn't skate any longer, went to a book sale on the beach and a guy convinced me to buy Colour of Magic, Light Fantastic, Pyramids and Guards Guards. I have never looked back
6) what's your personal quote of the day?
Para-phrasing "Million to one chances happen nine times out of ten"

Hi VoxVeritas, 'old' lol. There seems to be a certain age when people start thinking they're old, then when they're ten years older they look back and think 'what a fool, I wasn't old then - I was still young. I am old now though', then ten years later they do the same thing again, and again...

Dragon's Kingdom - Stop typing "alot" when you mean "a lot"! - Disappointed

1) what formed the motivational impetus for your chosen screenname?
Because its all The Librarian ever says and it could mean anything.

2) Are you male or female? (Asking because there has been quite of lot of confusion over this, on and off.)
Male.

3) what age catagory and geographic location do you fall into?
Im 28 and live in gods county, West Yorkshire.

4) Have you seen any Discworld movies, did you like them and do you have faith in future productions being good, better or worse than current ones?
I enjoyed The Hogfather apart from teatime's silly Willy Wonka impression but ive not seen the others.

5) who or how were you turned on to discworld/pratchett?
My dad had read them since before i was born and grew up reading them throughout my teenage/twenty something years.

6) what's your personal quote of the day?
Humans come with a manual?

"We're on a mission from Glod"

Hi there, nice to meet you.

Dragon's Kingdom - Stop typing "alot" when you mean "a lot"! - Disappointed

1) what formed the motivational impetus for your chosen screenname?
It's the short form of my middle name, which is Welsh, completely unspellable, and totally unpronounceable.

2) Are you male or female? (Asking because there has been quite of lot of confusion over this, on and off.)
Female, well I was last time I looked anyway. ;-)

3) what age catagory and geographic location do you fall into?
34 (unfortunately, I've lost the last 10 years somewhere along the way!). and live in S. Wales.

4) Have you seen any Discworld movies, did you like them and do you have faith in future productions being good, better or worse than current ones?
I enjoyed the films I've seen, they're a good romp and fun, but they miss out the subtleties of the jokes in the books. I hope there are more films, as hopefully it will get more people reading Discworld!

5) who or how were you turned on to discworld/pratchett?
My older brother bought me the first 8 (about?!) books when I was a teenager, and I've been addicted ever since!

6) what's your personal quote of the day?
Question: What have you found under there then?
Answer: Baby Daleks!!
(I've since found out this afternoon that they are Bottle Jacks, but am still none the wiser! Lol!!)