The Swedish Easter tradition featuring children dressed as witches is called påskkärringar.
Påskkärringar are Easter witches, usually children who dress in old clothes, wear headscarves, and paint freckles or rosy cheeks on their faces. They may go from house to house asking for sweets and offering drawings or decorated cards in return.
The custom is especially associated with Maundy Thursday or the days before Easter, although local timing varies. Its imagery comes from Scandinavian folklore about witches traveling to Blåkulla, a mythical island, around Easter. The witch costume has therefore become a playful children’s tradition rather than a frightening ritual.
Påskkärringar are sometimes confused with Halloween costumes because both involve children dressing up and receiving treats. The Swedish custom has a different calendar setting and folklore background. Finland also has a related Easter-witch tradition, but Swedish terminology and local practices are not identical across the Nordic countries.