NationStates Jolt Archive

so said the sign on the highway this morning.

as well it should have, there were dozens of people walking up I-25 just in the short 3 miles i have to travel on the road to get to town.

we dont call it "doing a pilgrimage" we call it "going walking". but it is a pilgrimage from the san miguel church in socorro (new mexico) to the san lorenzo church in polvadera in honor of good friday. its about a 12 mile walk. a few hundred people go walking every good friday. some men carry crosses; some just seem to be enjoying the walk.

the more seriously faithful walk from the cathedral in santa fe to the santuario de chimayo--a trip of about 30 miles. or from whereever they are, sometimes a trip of over 200 miles if their petition is serious enough.

so, as i was talking to my sister yesterday, i have NO idea what other countries do for easter/holy week. what cool things that i may have never heard of are popular where you live?

do other countries have silly traditions like the easter bunny, easter baskets, easter egg hunts, and such things?

The last stuff yeah, in the UK. I've had a few friends of mine go on a pilgrimage to bethlehem at christmas, but religion has really declined in the UK.

Since I'm the first one into the office just about every morning, I'm thinking it might be a laugh to buy a load of little chocolate Easter eggs and set up a surprise Easter egg hunt. Chocolatey goodness for all, plus it'll mess with peoples' heads when they come in to find the office has gone all seasonal.

Easter here is still very much the pagan Spring/fertility ritual it was before the Christians rudely claimed it as theirs. So, we have the eggs and all that other stuff, but the feast is also very much about witches and magic and little kids dress as witches and go door to door begging money/candy:

http://inga.blogg.se/images/p1010006_1145110094.jpg

They're called "Påskkärringar" and are said to fly to "Blåkulla" where they have sex with devils in exchange for magical powers. These sorts of trips were called "gandreið" in ancient Norse tales.

the pagan Spring/fertility ritual it was

I thought Ostara happened like, two weeks ago.

Last year I was the Easter Bunny...at the mall.

My first year at UC Santa Cruz Easter fell on 4/20 so I bought two dozen plastic eggs and put little nuggets of bud in them and hid them all over campus.

They're called "Påskkärringar" and are said to fly to "Blåkulla" where they have sex with devils in exchange for magical powers. These sorts of trips were called "gandreið" in ancient Norse tales.
your children have sex with devils. whoa.

your children have sex with devils. whoa.

And all this time we thought it was just Japan's anime children...

Well, there are these guys in the Philippines (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17978154/). They're hardcore.

your children have sex with devils. whoa.

Not the children themselves, but the witches, which are said to be able to leave without anyone noticing that they have, appearing to be at two places at the same time. The children dressing up is just a relatively modern perversion of the story - a display of religious freedom and freedom from religion, if you will, seeing as anyone dressing up like that would have been brutally killed by Christians in the 14-16th centuries.

Easter's not such a big deal for us, but we do have a major pilgrimage in the summer, out at Lac Ste. Anne (http://www.peace.mb.ca/00.Native/nlrnz07.htm). It was always a sacred spot for aboriginal people, and the Catholic church happily co-opted that. Some people walk there, from the US, or from across Canada. Yeah, walk. Or bike. It's crazy.

Well, there are these guys in the Philippines (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17978154/). They're hardcore.

Yeah, that freaks me out.

I always thought that people who were hardcore into religion like that, were actually using it as a cover for their serious BDSM fetishes. Really.

They're called "Påskkärringar" and are said to fly to "Blåkulla" where they have sex with devils in exchange for magical powers. These sorts of trips were called "gandreið" in ancient Norse tales.

Swedes invented Blackula? :confused:

http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/news_images/7798_21136_1.jpg

Swedes invented Blackula? :confused:

It is not pronounced in even a remotely similar fashion. "Blåkulla" means "blue hill", and is a Swedificiation of the German "Blocksberg".

It is not pronounced in even a remotely similar fashion. "Blåkulla" means "blue hill", and is a Swedificiation of the German "Blocksberg".

You just love to kill the joy, don't you.

I celebrate the Vernal Equinox each year by shaving my head as a symbolic gesture of renewal.

You just love to kill the joy, don't you.

That's Swedish for you.

That's Swedish for you.

Oh come on now! Killing the fun AND massages. Oh, and meatballs.

THAT'S Swedish for you.

Oh come on now! Killing the fun AND massages. Oh, and meatballs.

THAT'S Swedish for you.

I think there's supposed to be some sort of equality in there, too, but, basically.

Well, there are these guys in the Philippines (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17978154/). They're hardcore.

There is such a thing as going too far... and I think this is it.

Easter here is still very much the pagan Spring/fertility ritual it was before the Christians rudely claimed it as theirs. So, we have the eggs and all that other stuff, but the feast is also very much about witches and magic and little kids dress as witches and go door to door begging money/candy:

http://inga.blogg.se/images/p1010006_1145110094.jpg

They're called "Påskkärringar" and are said to fly to "Blåkulla" where they have sex with devils in exchange for magical powers. These sorts of trips were called "gandreið" in ancient Norse tales.

that is so cool.

the church of sweden doesnt try to suppress it?

that is so cool.

the church of sweden doesnt try to suppress it?

Of course they don't. Why would they? It's not a catholic or fundie church, you know...