pääsiäisnoita

Pääsiäisnoita translates to "Easter witch" in English. This is a Finnish Easter tradition where children dress up as witches, often with headscarves, aprons, and carrying birch brooms. They go door-to-door in their neighborhoods on Easter Eve, similar to trick-or-treating.

The children typically offer their handcrafted decorations, such as painted willow twigs or small bouquets, to the residents. In return, they receive small treats like candy, chocolates, or coins. The tradition is particularly popular in western Finland and has gained traction in other parts of the country as well.

The origins of the pääsiäisnoita tradition are believed to be linked to the belief that witches flew on broomsticks to Blåkulla (a mythical island) on Maundy Thursday to consort with the devil. To ward off witches, people would traditionally light bonfires. Over time, this evolved into children dressing up and performing good deeds for treats, transforming the historical fear into a celebratory custom. The children often recite a short rhyme when they visit houses, such as "Virvon, varvon, tuoreeks terveeks, vaikka vitsaa muutama, villan kera, pajunkin, onnea vuodeks antoisaaks!" which roughly translates to "I'm waving a twig for a fresh and healthy year, though a few twigs, with wool and willow too, will give a fruitful year of luck!"