Paaskiviikko
Background
Paaskiviikko – the Kvääni Culture Week of Northern Troms/Pohjois-Tromssa – is an annual festival celebrating Kven/Kvääni language, culture, and identity. Established in 2007, it has grown into one of Norway’s most important arenas for Kvääni cultural expression. Each June, the six municipalities of Kvænangen/Naavuono, Nordreisa/Raisi, Skjervøy/Kierua, Kåfjord/Kaivuono, Storfjord/Omasvuono and Lyngen/Yykeä come alive with concerts, talks, exhibitions, food traditions, workshops and storytelling events.
Photo: Haltiin kväänisentteri/Halti Kvenkultursenter IKS
The festival is coordinated by Haltiin kväänisentteri /Halti Kvenkultursenter (Halti Kvääni Culture Centre), in close collaboration with municipalities, cultural institutions, schools, voluntary organizations, and a wide network of local enthusiasts. This model ensures strong local ownership while maintaining a regional framework for cooperation and visibility.
Paaskiviikko draws inspiration from traditional meeting places where people in Northern Troms gathered for trade, stories and shared culture. Today, the festival continues this meeting – between past and present, between Kvääni, Sámi and Norwegian identities, and between tradition and contemporary creativity.
Photo: Haltiin kväänisentteri/Halti Kvenkultursenter IKS
Why safeguard?
After decades of assimilation policies, many elements of Kvääni culture and language were at risk of disappearing. For generations, the Kvääni language – now listed by UNESCO as severely endangered, was absent from public life. Many people grew up without access to their own linguistic and cultural heritage, and oral traditions, crafts and culture faded silently.
Paaskiviikko emerged as a response to this loss. The festival was created to provide visibility, pride, and community around Kvääni identity, and to show that Kvääni culture is alive, dynamic, and relevant. Using the festival format as a safeguarding tool allowed both celebration and continuity: it became a place to use the language, to share traditions, and to learn from one another.
Rather than focusing solely on preservation, Paaskiviikko embraces living transmission, where safeguarding happens through participation, culture and dialogue.
Photo: Haltiin kväänisentteri/Halti Kvenkultursenter IKS
Objectives
Objectives and goals
- To strengthen and make Kvääni language and culture visible throughout Northern Troms.
- To encourage intergenerational transmission of cultural knowledge.
- To provide arenas where Kvääni heritage is experienced as living and relevant.
- To foster dialogue between Kvääni, Sámi and Norwegian communities.
- To inspire new creative practices based on traditional knowledge.
Photo: Haltiin kväänisentteri/Halti Kvenkultursenter IKS
How it is done
Paaskiviikko takes place every June, with planning beginning the previous autumn. While the overall coordination lies with Haltiin kväänisentteri, each municipality develops its own local programme. This approach builds strong community ownership and ensures diversity.
The programme includes a wide range of activities: language workshops, concerts featuring both young and established artists, courses in traditional food and crafts, storytelling events, and seminars on heritage and identity.
The festival also serves as a national meeting point for Kvääni artists, language advocates, researchers and cultural workers, strengthening collaboration and exchange within and beyond the region.
Key factors
- Strong local anchoring – communities create their own content.
- Collaboration across sectors – municipalities, volunteers, institutions and businesses.
- Language visibility – Kvääni language used in programmes, signage and communication.
- Living transmission – learning through participation and practice.
- Continuity – annual rhythm ensures growth and learning over time.
Photo: Haltiin kväänisentteri/Halti Kvenkultursenter IKS
Summing up: reflections and the future
Paaskiviikko demonstrates how intangible cultural heritage can be safeguarded through active use, not just documentation. The festival has become a social and cultural meeting place where traditions live on in daily life – and where identity is strengthened through shared experience.
At the same time, challenges remain. Much of the work depends on short-term funding and voluntary effort. To ensure continuity, there is a need for long-term financial stability, youth engagement, and integration of Kvääni culture into education and regional cultural policies.
Looking ahead, Paaskiviikko aims to deepen cooperation among the Northern Troms municipalities, expand language use in public life, and involve more young people. The goal is not only to preserve a culture – but to give it a future.
Photo: Haltiin kväänisentteri/Halti Kvenkultursenter IKS