In Scandinavia Easter is called Påsk (Sweden), Påske (Denmark, Norway), and an Easter egg is known as a Påskägg / påskeæg / påskeegg. We also like decorating with. At Easter Swedes get together with their families: they celebrate by painting eggs with slightly deformed little chickens (usually with a leg out their head or an eye on their bum) and eating traditional Easter food like eggs, fowl, fish and lamb. Children receive Easter eggs filled with candy and dress up like colourful Easter witches. The Danes look forward to Easter as it signals the end of a long dark winter: the arrival of spring is celebrated along with the traditions of the Easter holiday. Traditionally, Danes celebrate Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday. The most traditional celebration at Easter in Finland is for young children to dress up as witches: on the Sunday before Easter the little witches knock on people’s doors offering to bless their home in exchange for a treat. Growing grass, rairuoho, in shallow dishes symbolises the arrival of the spring in Finland: once the grass is long enough, children place painted Easter eggs, bunnies and chicks, standing on the grass, whereas adults prefer placing yellow daffodils on vases. Whatever people think of god and religion, Easter is a National holiday in Iceland: for many families it is a tradition to hide the eggs and go on a egg hunt (you can buy the Easter eggs in every Icelandic supermarket), while in the evening there is usually a large family dinner that consists of a Icelandic lamb with potatoes and gravy. In Ilulissat, west Greenland, the inhabitants take a walk out over to the Icefjord: once they get home an easter lunch of lamb is served. Indeed it is common to eat lamb in different parts of Greenland: this might be the most common Greenlandic Easter tradition.
