Fastelavnsboller

I've lived in Denmark for 18 months now and this is the first time I have heard of Fastelavn. It's a carnival or special time of year when children (and adults) dress up in costumes and get candy and oranges by hitting a wooden barrel (similar to a piñata) with a black cat painted on the outside. In the old days a black cat actually used to be inside the barrel and was thought to ward off evil spirits.

Sounds a lot like Halloween in the States to me, except there is not a delightfully delicious pastry to go along with the event called a Fastelavnsboller. (Which is so Danish!) And one of the reasons I love living here. The bakeries and the pastries and wonderful customs that are still celebrated even though no one actually knows why at times.

Fastelavn also comes at the same time of year as Mardi Gras which is a big carnival in New Orleans, that is celebrated all over the States. In French it means Fat Tuesday which is the last day of feasting on rich foods and drink before fasting for Easter begins on Ash Wednesday. Even though Denmark is not a religious country, it's comforting to know that similar traditions are an annual calendar event here as well.