Anything faintly Easter- related may do, such as bunny ears, a sweater with a kitten print, a chicken costume, or wearing all golden will do – but the typical outfit, at least for women, is to ( known as påskhäxa, påskkärring or påskgumma in Swedish ).
Folklore claims that witches used broomsticks to dance with the devil at a meadow known as Blkulla ( “blue hill” ), which Swedish parents are reportedly unfazed about their children re-enacting.
Maundy Thursday (skärtorsdag ) is the traditional day in most of Sweden to dress up as an Easter Witch ( it’s Easter Saturday in western Sweden ), but in reality, kids can often be seen wearing painted faces, headscarves, and broomsticks throughout the holiday.
What do you need to wear to be an Easter Witch?
In our experience, parents ‘ efforts range without abandon from the ambitious to the half- hearted, so you should n’t have to feel that you have to go further than what you and your child think is fun and manageable.
For a minimum viable item, all you need is a kerchief, scarf or shawl to use on the mind.
When they are tied under their neck, they quickly become known as Easter Witches.
The use of the robe in Sweden can be traced to the later 18th century, when it was worn by farmers ‘ ladies.
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An apron is another reasonably simple item to incorporate. Similar to what a remote person typically looked like, which is also connected to the practice of witch trials in Sweden in the 1600s ( which tended to be held in the land ).
Finally, for a simple Easter Witch clothing, makeup in the form of freckles and red cheeks.
If you want to move up your level of motivation, you can also include equipment. A soft cat toy, ideally black, as well as an old-fashioned coffee pot ( not even dancing with the devil can cause Swedes to forsake their coffee ) and a broomstick.
You guys get Easter Witches? They can, of course, but in any case, it would scarcely stand out as the most unusual aspect of this tradition.
That said, in exercise you’ll notice some boys, if any, in the whole Easter Witch clothing. The more current equivalent for kids otherwise usually includes a shirt, braces/suspenders, pimples with a moustache ( instead of or in addition to pink cheeks ), and some kind of hat.
Speak Jonas Engberg from the Nordic Museum in Stockholm discuss Easter practices in Sweden, including witchcraft, in The Local’s.