The afternoon featured a presentation by Florence County High School art instructor Kelli Ellis, who shared the history of the Finnish craft making of Himmeli, as well as provided a demonstration.

The Himmeli is usually made of hollow straw and fashioned into a hanging object of various shapes, which originally celebrated a successful harvest.

In recent years, the Himmeli has become an artistic object that is featured in many Finnish homes.

Attendees made their Himmeli with colored paper straws.

Grant Kemppainen, 12, of Menominee, great-grandson of Iris Machus of Iron Mountain, shows off his finished Himmeli at the local Raja Ryhma organization's Pikkujoulu celebration. (Submitted photo)

Raja Ryhma members are appreciative when younger members become interested in Finnish traditions.

Iris Machus’s great-grandson, Grant Kemppainen, 12, of Menominee, learned the craft quickly and made one that afternoon.

The Raja Ryhma organization will soon observe a fairly lighthearted tradition that originated in the mind of Richard Mattson of Virginia, Minn., more than 70 years ago.

His creation was the hero, St. Urho, who saved Finland’s grape crop from ravenous grasshoppers. That feat supposedly took place on March 16, the day before Irish folks celebrated St. Patrick for driving snakes out of Ireland.

This year’s honorary St. Urho will be celebrated on Saturday, March 14, in the Lake Antoine Room at Recreation Lanes in Iron Mountain

The Majority Finn — featuring Pasi Lautila and his wife, Meg, and two sons — entertain the crowd at the local Raja Ryhma organization's annual Pikkujoulu celebration. (Submitted photo)

More information will be announced in the near future. Anyone interested is invited to come — you don’t need to be a member to attend, just enjoy being with Finns, according to the organization.