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Swedish Easter Comes To Philadelphia

By Kristen Johanson

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With just one week until Easter, families celebrated early the at the American Swedish Historical Museum in South Philadelphia.

Located in FDR Park, on Pattison and Broad Streets, it is the oldest Swedish Museum in the United States, opening 90 years ago.

The museum provides education programs, like the Easter Family Fun Day, where dozens of tots painted their faces and crafted some art projects.

"I decorated a cardboard Easter egg and put it in a wagon," said 7-year-old Harrison.

Swedish Easter
A girl gets her face painted during Swedish Easter celebrations at the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia. (photo credit: Kristen Johanson)

Lauren Burnham is the museum's Education and Public Programs Manager and says they tailored the day to celebrate like a Swede.

"It's more of a time to welcome and celebrate spring," she said.

Some of the kids even dressed up as an Easter witch!

"It's back in a time when witch-craft was pretty prevalent," said Burnham. "People believed that neighbors or other people could be practicing witch craft, and so it was a way to kind of ward that off."

She says another Swedish practice: decorating bare birch trees with colorful feathers, in hopes for a bright spring.

For more information about the Swedish Museum, click here: http://www.americanswedish.org

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