In Söderbärke in Smedjebackens municipality, an old and unusual Easter tradition endures. During Easter week, family late risers receive dialectal derogatory nicknames to rouse them from bed. The custom has long roots in the area.
In Söderbärke, a village in Smedjebackens municipality in Dalarna, families uphold a peculiar Easter tradition. Late risers in the household are assigned special derogatory nicknames each day of Easter week, a playful method to get children out of bed even on holiday.
The practice has persisted for a long time in the Söderbärke area and parts of northern Västmanland, though its precise origins remain unknown. The terms are in the local söder- and norrbärke dialects, difficult to translate accurately. For instance, "stäckukotten" roughly means short and stubby.
Karin Johansson notes: “I don’t think it works to say it in Swedish. It doesn’t have the same effect.”
Some nicknames for the week include:
- Skärkumpen – Maundy Thursday
- Långlaten – Good Friday
- Stäckukotten – Easter Eve (Saturday)
- Påsklåska – Easter Sunday
- Andersjoska – Easter Monday
- Trehuppetiböx – Tuesday
