Glad Påsk! A Swedish Easter!

After I graduated high school I decided to move to Scandinavia to discover the Swedish half of my family, since carrying a passport just does not cut it in order to call myself a ‘Swede’.Thankfully, since arriving, I have been warmly welcomed by said Swedish family tree. Right from the start they considered and treated me as one of the family, teaching me my family history, Swedish traditions as well as helping me work on my Swedish language skills.  So now it is my turn to share this knowledge with you and there is no better place to start than with SWEDISH EASTER!

On arrival all the relatives grab a cold Mariestad beer - just to keep it patriotic - and head to the garden where, luckily for us, the sun had decided to grace us with its presence! After a long winter we never know what to expect from this Scandinavian weather but Easter just isn’t Easter without a glorious day of sunshine to accompany it. All in all then, a good start to the day!

Once we have all had a chat and settled in a long board is set out covered in hard boiled eggs ready to be dyed and colored in any way we so choose.  Although I have to admit that “Clumsy” could very well be considered my middle name so you can only imagine the effect that the combination of food egg dye and red wine had on my new white jeans… definitely not my finest hour. You would have thought that after last year’s white skirt debacle I would have learned but I guess there are some habits that do indeed die hard.

After all eggs have been decorated and our tummies start to rumble, we take our seats ready for dinner. Despite the fact that my grand old age "in my twenties" clearly indicates that I have passed the requirements in order to sit at the ‘adult table’, it is nonetheless always insisted that I take a place at the children’s table. But, to be honest, I never complain since I do somewhat enjoy getting an egg filled with candy to hunt for after super.

Colds foods first with huge amounts of different sills (hering) in different spices!  I am not sure what it is about this delicacy but it just seems to fire up my appetite rather than quell it! And so on to the warm food next in the shape of that most famous of stereotypes: Swedish meatballs.

Egg fight! No, I do not mean throwing eggs at each other but this completion is not something to take lightly. 

Here are the rules:

1. Choose your colored egg wisely since this will be your weapon in battle. 
2. Look for an opponent.
3. Grab your egg tight with one hand.
4. Decide if you or the opponent are the one that is going to do the smashing. 
5. SMASH IT! 
6. If your egg is broken, sorry to tell you but you have lost! Now go and enjoy your egg. 
7. If you have a full egg with no crack repeat actions. 

I must say it is a relief with this game to know that my family does all the cooking, because my boyfriend can definitely tell you what tragedy befalls those who try this with my version of a “boiled” egg…

Like every traditional Swedish holiday, dinner is accompanied by ‘Snaps’. Can you keep a secret? Shhh… I am really not too fond of this particular acquired taste.  Don’t tell my family, they might disown me! But I do love the whole raising the snap glass, singing routine every five minutes and finally shouting out  “Skål!” while making eye contact with everyone!

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how we Swedes celebrate Easter!

Copyright © 2011 Isabel Nilsson