påskkärring, child witches for easter?

Ready for Easter?  Don't forget to get out your witches brooms and tell your kids to dress up as easter hags/witches.  

Let's quit "doing the cultural thing" and start thinking about this a bit.

Swedes are dressing up their kids as witches on a day when we should be thinking about Jesus death on the cross.

And then posting their pictures and proudly going around all dressed up.  "My kid is a cuter hag than your kid!"

And at our local government sponsored playgroup, påskkärring was discussed and pictures of it put up on the walls, while any word about what Easter IS as a traditional holiday was completely silent.

Not only are Swedes trying to downplay and cute-ify wickedness and evil, but they are also creating a culture that is ignorant of truly deep things that should be pondered...why would Jesus die on the cross, what was the purpose of it, etc.

Those are things worth thinking about...


Here's an article in English from the Swedish newspaper The Local: http://www.thelocal.se/3525/20110421/#.UVYJyhxLOk0

"Children dressed as witches give a clear indication that Swedish Påsk origins predate Christianity. Folklore alleges that witches flew off on broomsticks to dance with the devil at Blåkulla. "

" modern Swedish children dress up as påskkärringar (Easter hags) paint their faces, carry a broom and knock on neighbor’s doors for treats, much like American children do at Halloween."