Photo: Ekelund
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Easter in Scandinavia
Easter has up to our own times, been a religious holiday in Sweden, and Easter Week has had an
air of solemnity about it. Weddings and christenings , for example, have not been considered
apropriate during this week. Only in recent years Swedish cinemas has been open on Good Friday.
Easter week starts with with Palm Sunday, commemorating Chist's triumphant entry in to Jerusalem.
In Catholic countries this is a day of joyous processions of people carrying palm fronds and
laying them before the image of Christ. In Swedens climate some other kind of branches had to
take the place of palms; early budding varieties of willow were a common choice.
Still today, such branches are brought into homes and offices so that they have developed
leaves by Palm Sunday. In many parts of the country these branches are even called "palms".
As is often the case with major holy days, certain superstitions were attached to Easter.
People believed that witches were especially active and their black magic especially powerfull
during this week. Even in modern times people have believed that women who practise black magic
("Easter hags") were out and about practising their witchcraft. On Maundy Thursday they were
thought to fly off on brooms to consort with the devil at some place called "blåkulla",
returning the following Saturday. Text from LUTH. |
