I Sverige är påsken en populär högtid och många svenskar ser på ledigheten kring påsken som ett utmärkt tillfälle att umgås med nära och kära. Vad som många ser som en stor del i påskfirandet är maten och påsken sägs vara den näst största mathelgen efter julen. De vanligaste maträtterna under påsken är ägg, lax, sill och lammstek.
En annan påsktradition i Sverige är att barn klär ut sig till påskkärringar och överraskar sina grannar. Här skiljer sig traditionerna något beroende på var i landet man bor, i vissa delar av landet erbjuder barnen sång eller en ramsa, och i andra delar av ritar barnen påskbrev som de delar ut. Som tack får de ofta godis eller en liten småpeng.
Har du kanske planerat något med din student den här påsken? Vi har pratat med två av våra studenter om deras traditioner och planer i påsk. Läs om Emma och Juliannes ska göra i påsk!
En svensk påsk med portugisiska, amerikanska och grekiska traditioner
Emma bor tillsammans med sin värdfamilj i Nacka och
studerar Biologi på Saint Michael’s College, Vermont.
Do you celebrate Easter in the US, if you do – what do you usually do?
– Yes, I am Greek Orthodox, so I celebrate Easter just on a different day because we use a different calendar. This year it’s on Sunday April 28th. I really love it because we have such an amazing assortment of Greek food, some include: Spanakopita (kind of like a spinach pie), Kourambiethes (cookies drowned in powdered sugar– they’re amazing), Koulourakias (another crunchy cookie that’s really typical for Easter), and of course lamb.
– Another major difference is this kind of game we play on Easter where we all get a hard boiled egg that is dyed red. One person will hold their egg and the other person will hit their egg on the top of their partner’s. Whoever’s egg cracks loses. You keep going until one person is left with an egg that has not cracked and they get good luck for the year!
Do you have any expectations on your Swedish Easter?
– I didn’t really think about it when I came here. My Swedish host family is also part Portuguese and we have enjoyed swapping American, Greek, Swedish, and Portuguese recipes, cultures, and just daily habits so I was thinking of sharing some of my Easter traditions with them.
Do you have any plans this Easter?
– This year for Easter Sunday I will be skiing with my host family! I’m so excited because as a native New Englander skiing is practically my second religion. I think we also plan on making some traditional Swedish food while we are up at their ski house!
Påskfirande med skidåkning i norra Sverige
Julianne bor på ett studentboende och träffar sin besöksfamilj vid flera olika tillfällen. Julianne studerar Sociology & Gender Studies på University of Connecticut.
Do you celebrate Easter in the US, if you do – what do you usually do?
– Yes, I do! My family usually celebrates Easter with them and a few other relatives. We eat ham for dinner and buy lots of chocolate and when we were younger we used to have an egg hunt.
Do you have any expectations on your Swedish Easter?
– I was surprised that they have Easter egg hunts and the Easter bunny like we do! I expect they celebrate somewhat similarly, since my family and my host family are pretty not religious. One big difference is for Easter at home we eat ham for dinner, but here we will be having smörgåsbord with different fish and potatoes and meatballs.
Do you have any plans this Easter?
– My host mom told me she also does an egg hunt with her daughter. My host family usually spends Easter with their family in Gotland, but this year we are all are going up North to the mountains to ski and stay with my host moms friend.
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