Where there is a holiday, there will be witches involved somewhere. Halloween is, of course, full of them. We also have Christmas witches and Epiphany witches. Is it any surprise that we also have Easter witches?
In Sweden, several thousand people were accused of witchcraft in the 1660s and 1670s, and several hundred were put to death. The folklore that grew at the time tells us that witches rise up on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, and fly to the legendary island of Blåkulla to consort with the devil, taking kidnapped children with them. They would then return to their homes on Easter Sunday.
In modern Sweden (and Finland as well), Easter is mostly a secular holiday. The witch trials of the 17th century left their mark in modern Easter customs, as children dress up as witches and go from house to house, delivering handmade cards or other greetings and receiving candy in return. Yes, it's another holiday for trick-or-treating. The customs surrounding Easter and the witches are changing, but are still observed in one way or another in Swedish communities both in Sweden and abroad.
(Image credit: Annelis)
