Pupletts in Sweden: Easter in Sweden

I really didn't think that Easter in Sweden would be much different to Easter in Australia, but it seems that there are a few differences...

To start with, the obvious. Easter in the Northern Hemisphere occurs in spring, meaning that there are bulbs blooming everywhere (like in our lawn), and the trees are starting to show signs of life.

Out the front

Next to the driveway

Oh, and it is starting to get warmer, not cooler.

With the actual Easter celebrations, traditionally they began with three days of Shrovetide, full of carnivals, games and revelry. Activities included playfully thrashing each other with birch twigs and tobogganing down steep slopes. People were also supposed to mark Shrove Tuesday by eating seven hearty meals before observing a 40-day fast.

The birch twigs are now used as a decorative piece, either by the front door, or as a table piece.
Walking down the main street has been a colourful experience since the beginning of Lent.

Bjorkris with feathers, also called påskris

Påskris on the hotdog van

General houses get into the Easter decorating gig too- a bit like Christmas, but all things Easter related. Unfortunately I missed the house with the egg wreath on it, but the following photos are a few of the ways people get into decorating their houses.

Decorated eggs hanging from a tree in someones front yard.

Påskris on a door.

Feathered wreaths on the door

Why put feathers on twigs by the door when you can do the whole tree!

Some of the main differences I have noticed is the lack of Easter eggs for sale. In the last two weeks they have slowly been hitting the shelves, but not in a form any Australian would be used to seeing. Here, the eggs are traditionally paper, and you fill them with lollies- Easter themed of course!

Pick the size sugar high you would like!

There is also an Easter Witch, who is reported to fly to Blåkulla on Maundy Thursday (skärtorsdag), and quite often children will dress up as witches and visit neighbours where they try to trade their drawings for treats- kind of like a mini Halloween.

The Easter Bunny gets a bit of a break over here, as his only job is to lay out an egg hunt, if he really feels like it- oh, and it is done on Saturday, as with the receiving of any other Easter treats.

For all the Australians reading---- Sweden does NOT do Hot Cross Buns!!!!
This blew me away! They have buns for Fat Tuesday, Christmas, and Fika that we have experienced so far, but not a poor HCB to be seen.

It's not Easter without a humble HCB, so I had to get into the kitchen and make my own... or as it turned out, make my own 12 dozen. I now have a stash of fruit, fruitless, chocolate, and chocolate choc chip to get me through the weekend (and to hand out to anyone else who needs a quick HCB fix).