The Finnish American Reporter is a monthly, English language journal, established
in 1986, featuring articles and news reports of interest to Finns across
North America, in Finland and around the world.
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| The Finnish American Reporter has no political or denominational affiliation
and welcomes well-written articles representing any aspect of Finnish culture,
politics and religion. The Finnish American Reporter provides a national
network for announcements of Finnish events in the United States and Canada.
Monthly features in the Finnish American Reporter include: sports, calendar of events, genealogy, book reviews, regional news and regular columnists. Past issue book reviews can now be found here. Current news reports from Finland and the North American keep the Finnish community connected, despite great distances. Numerous FAR subscribers are active supporters of the FAR by submitting articles, regional news, calendar events and photographs for publication. To join the growing number of participating FAR subscribers, click on the links below. Submissions can also be sent by mail or fax.
Some of the features included
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Russian painter Ilja Glazunov’s portrait of President Urho Kekkonen — now on display at Kiasma in Helsinki — stirred up quite a bit of controversy in 1973 when it was unveiled on a magazine cover. Find out why on page 11.
Photo courtesy Finnish National Gallery/Central Art Archives/ Henri Tuomi
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in the August 2010 issue are ...
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TORI DAYS: MARKET BRINGS FRESH FINNISHNESS TO HANCOCK
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David Maki photo
Jean Medlyn (L) and Sandy Soring tend to geraniums that they planted at the Finnish American Heritage Center, near the new site of the Hancock Tori.
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BY BRETT HARRISON
Beneath an intense summer sun, as vendors hustled behind their tables and patrons browsed the offerings of food and crafts while enjoying the dulcet tunes of a banjo player, one Hancock Tori merchant didn’t hesitate to explain what brings her out twice a week all summer long regardless of weather.“It’s all about community,” said Jean Medlyn, a longtime vendor and the public liaison for the Tori. “That’s what drives me. It all centers around that word.”Much like its Finnish counterparts, the Hancock Tori is an outdoor market featuring homemade and/or homegrown items. The most famous tori in Finland is likely Kauppatori (Market Square). The Market Square is located near the center of Helsinki. From spring to autumn, the Square is bustling with activity, with vendors selling fresh Finnish food and souvenirs. There are also many outdoor cafés at the square. Along with being a retail center, toris can also be described as a haven for community, where people mingle while discussing the business of the day. The Hancock Tori is no exception. Many sellers said...
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Photo courtesy Kirkon tiedotuskeskus /Henna Aaltonen
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CONFIRMATION SCHOOL: MODERN DAY KINKERIT
BY SELINA KERANEN
Arguably the first big rite in many Finns’ lives is konfirmaatio (confirmation), a passage from childhood to adulthood, sending the 15-year-olds out to the “big world.” Although they are still not legally adults, teenagers do earn certain special rights after confirmation; for example, they are allowed to become godparents.Catholic and Orthodox churches have their own confirmation traditions, but they are a minority. The vast majority of Finns, around 80 percent of the population, is Evangelical Lutheran, although the number has been dropping steadily due to other religions and even atheism becoming more popular. However, Finland is still very much an Evangelical Lutheran country and its traditions are strongly impacted by Lutheranism. That applies to confirmation as well: most Finns still go through rippikoulu (confirmation school) and konfirmaatio. In Finland, konfirmaatio is often also the closing ceremony of rippikoulu, although if a person wants to ...
HE WAS A POET, AND EVERYONE SURE DID KNOW IT
BY DAVID MAKI
Farmer, masseur, cupper and poet — these were some of the many skills of Eelu Kiviranta, and for years his descendants didn’t even know it. Born in Oulainen, Finland in 1873, Kiviranta came to the United States in March, 1901 on the ship “Polaris” of the Allan Line. He made his way to Ripley, Michigan, where he worked in the Quincy Mine. But mining wasn’t the right job for a man who was so small; he didn’t stand much beyond only five feet tall. So after some time, though he had avoided any harm, he and his family moved to Nisula and purchased a farm.This small Upper Michigan village is where Eelu earned his fame, because many folks from that generation still fondly remember his name. He had a small herd of dairy cattle, but that wasn’t his sole occupation. He’d repair shoes, write for Finnish newspapers, and massage clients into complete relaxation.Eelu wasn’t one for much talking; his talents spoke for themselves most of the time. But when speaking was necessary, he typically did so in rhyme. He had quite the vocabulary, his descendants recall, even though he didn’t have much ...
EMMA MIGHT BE WORTH NARRATOR'S WAIT
BY CAROL PARSSINEN
Recently, I looked up the meaning of the name “Emma.” The Finnish song standard of that name has been in my living-room song rotation for quite a while now, and with all the consternation Emma causes the befuddled narrator in the song, I wondered if her name befit her. After referring to several baby name Web sites, I decided there was a match of sorts with the report of her conduct, as the most common meaning I found given for the European name Emma was “Universal.” The heartbreak our Emma apparently initiates is indeed a universal experience. Who of us has not been in Emma’s and then the narrator’s place in different times and relationships? We are all individuals — it is impossible to guess what another thinks or feels; we must rely on honest communication with that person. This requires much time and effort on both sides of the conversation and, even then, we can and so often ...
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