In America, Easter celebrations include traditional baskets filled with candy and small gifts, egg hunts, and a ham dinner with spring vegetables. But that’s not necessarily how other countries mark the holiday. In Italy, they set off fireworks; in Bermuda, they fly kites; in Poland, they soak young women in water! In this blog, however, we’ll explore surprising Easter traditions in Norway and Finland that might just inspire you to include them in your holiday customs!
Norway’s Easter Celebrations
Our Norwegian friends take a whole week off for Påske (Easter), a tradition the U.S. should definitely consider adopting. Even the banks close for three days! While Norway’s stave churches hold special services, about half the population stays home over the holidays, enjoying påskekrim.
Påskekrim translates to “Easter Crime” and refers to the practice of consuming crime fiction books, television, and radio programs. The Norwegian fascination with stories about brutal criminal activities is a little ironic since the country is considered one of the safest on the globe.
Besides tucking into a thriller, Norwegians also commemorate the holiday by eating roast lamb and citrus fruits, decorating with yellow flowers like daffodils dandelions, and indulging in their version of the Kit Kat candy bar, Kvikk-Lunsj.
Incorporate the Nordic spirit into your Easter holiday by stocking up on yellow decor or faux-daffodil flowers at World Market. Then head to Local Acres Marketplace for a tasty leg of lamb and juicy oranges. Plus, Netflix has an endless supply of dark Nordic television shows featuring gruff detectives, icy landscapes, and classic whodunit plots for those who enjoy their Easter holiday with a side of noir.
Easter in Finland
The Finnish used to believe that witches and evil spirits roamed around, creating chaos on Easter. Today, Finland’s children pay homage to their ancestors’ superstitions by practicing virpominen—going house to house dressed as trulli (witches) with decorated willow branches, reciting, ‘Virvon, varvon, tuoreeks terveeks, tulevaks vuodeks; vitsa sulle, palkka mulle!’ a well-known rhyme that translates to: ‘I wave a twig for a fresh and healthy year ahead; a twig for you, a treat for me!’ The willow twig in question represents the palms of Palm Sunday. In exchange, the little trullis receive chocolate eggs. Finnish kiddos also grow rye grass seeds and propagate birch twigs in water to represent the renewal of life. Besides a roast lamb dinner, Finns enjoy traditional Easter desserts like mämmi and pasha.
While your neighbors might be a little confused by the arrival of adorable little witches on their doorstep, you can easily incorporate other Finnish traditions like decorating willow branches from World Market and planting seeds. Additionally, you could try your hand at Finnish cuisine by picking up ingredients for mämmi and pasha at Trader Joe’s. And the little chocolates to placate mischievous trullis? Look no further than See’s Candies’ Easter treat collection!
Take Your Easter Celebrations Global With Cascade Village
Whether you want to spice up your usual Easter celebrations with an international flair or prefer to stick to all-American festivities, Cascade Village Shopping Center has all the stores you need to stock up on decorations, food, and fun. Visit our online directory to explore the variety of retail, dining, and unwinding options we offer to Bend, Oregon, residents and visitors!
