If you know already know a bit of Swedish, the seasonal word påskris might be confusing: it looks like it means rice (ris) eaten at Easter (påsk), but it actually refers to a type of Swedish Easter decoration made of sticks. A literal translation would be "Easter branches" or "Easter twigs".
So why does ris, which normally means "rice," mean "sticks" in this case? It's because historically the word ris also meant "rod," and often referred to a branch or stick used as a rod – yes, for beating people with.
Back in the 1600s, Swedes used to beat each other with sticks and rods on Good Friday, as a way of remembering Jesus' suffering and experiencing suffering themselves. If you're from an eastern European country such as the Czech Republic, you might recognise this tradition. The rods were called fastlagsris (literally "Lent rods").
Fortunately, this is no longer the typical way of marking Easter in Sweden. These days, the "Easter branches" are used as decorations rather than whips. This tradition started around the Stockholm area in the late 1800s, and became common across the whole country by the 1930s.
In their modern form as decorations, påskris are twigs, often from birch trees, topped with colourful feathers or, sometimes, with extra elements like hanging decorative eggs or animal-themed ornaments. Around this time of year, as Easter approaches, you can find them for sale at markets and shops – or, of course, make your own.
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As for the påsk part of påskris, it means "Easter" and is etymologically linked to "Passover": both have roots in the Hebrew word pesaḥ which meant "to pass over," and became pascha in Latin and páskar in Old Norse before becoming påsk in modern Swedish.
You can use it on its own in expressions like glad påsk (Happy Easter) and vid påsk (at Easter time), but just like the word jul (Christmas), it is also used in plenty of festive compound words – like påskris.
So if you're out and about in your Swedish city this weekend, look out for twee little collections of twigs, påskris, which municipalities often use to decorate public areas in the lead-up to Easter. And maybe try not to think of their rather violent history.
Example sentences:
Jag vill skapa ett påskris utan fjädrar
I want to make Easter branches without feathers
Påskriset ser underbart ut!
The Easter branches look wonderful!
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