A sepet（七人小组） of Rip Van Winkles, the men who came to be known as the Seven Sleeoers, had the misfortune of being devout（虔诚的） Christians in third-century Turkey （土耳其）in the midst of Emperor Decian’s anti-Christian persecutions（迫害）. The seven feld their homes with the emperor’s henchmen（侍从） in hot pursuit（紧追不舍）.They ducked（逃走） into a cave and launched（开始，着手进行） into prayer, preparing for what seemed their imminent（临近的） martyrdom（殉难）. They shared what they believed would be their last meal. Then they all lay down to sleep, believing that Decian’s men would discover them at any moment.But as miracles will have it, they slept undisturbed for 208 years. By the time they awoke and emerged from the cave, Decian had not only stopped looking for them, he was long since deceased The current emperor, a Christian, hailed the Seven Sleepers as saints and kissed them, at which point they all down and died.

Sleepyhead Day marks the Seven Sleepers’ collective feast day in Naantali, southwestern Finland. Soon after dawn, howling revelers fill the streets, headed for the home of the current year’s “sleepyhead”: some unsuspecting local celebrity. A waking-up party is let into the house; the Sleepyhead is roused rudely, hauled out of bed, marched down to the town’s harbor, and tossed into the drink.