Easter (Påsk)

In Sweden, Easter is more about spending time with family and friends than religion. It's a five-day holiday that begins with Skärtorsday (Maudy Thursday) and ends with Annanda Påsk (Easter Monday).

 

Here's a fun look at how Easter is celebrated in Sweden: 

 

• Maundy Thursday-Easter Witches!: Long ago, people believed witches flew off to meet the devil at Mount Blåkulla on this day. Today, children dress up as Easter witches by wearing colourful headscarves and painting rosy cheeks. Like trick-or-treating in Canada, kids go door to door and get candy in return. 

 

• Semla buns: Semla buns are tasty treats flavoured with cardamom and typically filled with almond paste and whipped cream. They come from a tradition called Fettisdag (Shrove Tuesday), when people would eat seven hearty meals, including semlor, before fasting for 40 days. These days, people skip the fasting, but the love for semlor remains. They're so popular you can find them in bakeries not long after Christmas.  

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• Eggs and Easter Trees: Painting eggs is a common Easter tradition in Sweden, just like in many other countries. But there's something special too: decorating birch twigs with bright feathers. Swedes place the twigs in a vase to make an “Easter tree”. Some say the twigs act like brooms to sweep away winter. Others think they represent a witch's broomstick, with feathers showing it's ready to fly.
   

• Bonfires: On the west coast of Sweden, people celebrate Easter with bonfires. It's a cozy way to enjoy time with family and welcome spring  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

kj