Spring’s Play and Fire
At Easter, the children dress up as Easter witches and go from house to house, handing out drawings and wishing people a happy Easter in exchange for sweets.
Meanwhile, the Easter bonfires are being prepared; weeks before Easter, children and teenagers gather spruce branches, brushwood, and other allowed materials for burning, and hide it all away while waiting for Easter Eve.
On the morning of Easter Eve, everyone helps carry the gathered material up the slope of Husevale, and piece by piece the bonfire takes shape. It’s work that requires both strength and cooperation – but also a lot of laughter. We may not be able to compete with the larger islands when it comes to the number of spruce trees, but the enthusiasm – that we have plenty of.
In the past, you might find old car tires and other things that didn’t belong in the fire, but today the tradition is cleaner and more respectful of nature. Thanks to the commitment of the islanders, the Easter bonfire has been able to live on – in harmony with both the environment and the people.
When the bonfires are lit on Easter night, the flames can be seen far out across the sea. From Husevale you have a clear view, and in the darkness you can see the fires blazing on Hyppeln, Knippla, and Björkö, while Hälsö and Öckerö appear as soft glows against the sky farther away. The smell of smoke and the intense heat from the fire blend with the sound of laughter and distant crackles, while a distress flare slowly sinks toward the sea like a glowing red star in the dark.
An old unwritten rule says that the one who lights the fire is also the one responsible for putting it out. You don’t leave the fire to its fate; you stay, keep watch, and wait until the embers have died down and the place is safe. People often remain for hours, with coffee, hot chocolate, and quiet conversation in the night, while the fire slowly burns down and the lights of the surrounding islands reflect on the water.
It is a simple but important expression of responsibility and respect – both for nature and for the tradition itself. In this way, the Easter bonfire lives on as something shared and safe, a spring greeting that unites people, light, and sea.
