St Patrick's Day is the biggest day of the year in Butte. Last year it was well below zero and the world looked like a hockey rink. This year it rained hard all day and night. That is because my friend shaved his head on the 16th.
St Urho's day, the 16th went well enough, I guess. That is the Finnish version of St Patrick's day. Some group in Bemidji, Minnesota, claims to have originated the observance of this holiday in the 1950s, but it has been celebrated here for well over 100 years. My personal belief is that it was invented because the Finns were jealous that the Irish had a drinking holiday, and they wanted one too. By celebrating them on consecutive days, nobody has any reason to sober up for at least half the week, what with getting warmed up, hair of the dog and all.