Påsk in Sweden: dates 2026–2027, traditions and words
| Day | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Skärtorsdagen | Thursday, 2 April 2026 | Thursday, 25 March 2027 |
| LångfredagenRed day | Friday, 3 April 2026 | Friday, 26 March 2027 |
| Påskafton | Saturday, 4 April 2026 | Saturday, 27 March 2027 |
| PåskdagenRed day | Sunday, 5 April 2026 | Sunday, 28 March 2027 |
| Annandag påskRed day | Monday, 6 April 2026 | Monday, 29 March 2027 |
- The date
- Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21 March (by the church's calculation), so it falls between 22 March and 25 April. The other days are counted from it.
- Day off?
- Långfredagen, påskdagen and annandag påsk are public holidays, so most people get a four-day weekend. Skärtorsdagen is a working day, often shorter. Påskafton is always a Saturday and not a public holiday, but it is the main day of celebration.
Few Swedes go to church at Easter, but almost everyone celebrates it. The big day is påskafton, Easter Saturday, with a family meal much like a smaller Christmas buffet. Around it are four days off, from Good Friday to Easter Monday.
The strangest tradition to newcomers is the påskkärring, the Easter witch. Old folklore said witches flew on broomsticks to Blåkulla to meet the devil on the Thursday before Easter. Today small children dress up as witches with headscarves, long skirts and painted red cheeks and go from door to door.
What Swedes do
- Påskkärringar: on skärtorsdagen (in western Sweden often on påskafton) children dressed as witches knock on doors, wish Glad påsk and hand over a drawing, a påskbrev, in return for sweets.
- Påskris: birch twigs in a vase decorated with brightly coloured feathers. Indoors, the twigs often come into leaf.
- Painting eggs, and giving påskägg: big cardboard eggs filled with sweets.
- Påskbordet on påskafton: pickled herring, eggs, salmon, Janssons frestelse and often lamb. Followed by sweets for the children.
- Daffodils (påskliljor) and yellow decorations everywhere, and for many the first trip of the year to a summer cottage, or skiing in the mountains.
Food and drink
| Swedish | English | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| ägg | eggs | Boiled, halved and topped with prawns, roe or mayonnaise. |
| sill | pickled herring | Several kinds, with potatoes, sour cream and chives. |
| Janssons frestelse | Jansson's temptation | Potato, onion and sprats baked in cream. |
| gravad lax | cured salmon | With mustard and dill sauce. |
| lammstek | roast lamb | A common Easter main course. |
| påskmust | Easter soft drink | The same drink as julmust, sold in Easter bottles. |
Words for Påsk
Nouns are given with en or ett where you would use them that way. Words in our dictionary are linked, with their forms and pronunciation.
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| påsk | Easter |
| skärtorsdagen | Maundy Thursday |
| långfredagen | Good Friday |
| påskafton | Easter Saturday (Easter Eve) |
| påskdagen | Easter Sunday |
| annandag påsk | Easter Monday |
| en påskkärring | an Easter witch (child dressed up) |
| en häxa | a witch |
| en kvast | a broom |
| Blåkulla | the witches' mountain of folklore |
| ett påskbrev | an Easter card or drawing |
| ett påskris | birch twigs decorated with feathers |
| en fjäder | a feather |
| ett påskägg | an Easter egg |
| måla ägg | to paint eggs |
| godis | sweets, candy |
| en påsklilja | a daffodil |
| en kyckling | a chick |
| påskharen | the Easter bunny |
| påskbordet | the Easter buffet |
| påsklovet | the Easter school holiday |
Phrases you will hear
- Glad påsk!Happy Easter!
- Glad påsk! Här är ett påskbrev.Happy Easter! Here is an Easter card. (children at the door)
- Vad äter ni på påskafton?What do you eat on Easter Saturday?
- Ska vi måla ägg i morgon?Shall we paint eggs tomorrow?
- Är du ledig hela påsken?Are you off for the whole of Easter?
Learn more Swedish
See every holiday and the full list of red days in the Swedish holiday calendar, and pick up one new word a day with the Swedish word of the day. Dates and weekdays are easier with our guide to days and months in Swedish and the Swedish numbers tool.
Sources
- Lag (1989:253) om allmänna helgdagar, Riksdagen: which days are public holidays.
Dates are calculated from the rules above and were checked against the law and published calendars. Last checked 7 October 2026. Customs vary between regions and families; this page describes the common ones.