Fastelavn Unmasked: The Quirky Danish Celebration No One Talks About

 I first heard about Fastelavn when a lovely local woman mentioned it to me on a Friday afternoon at the nail salon. I immediately had questions about this unfamiliar term. I learned it's a celebration that combines old pagan traditions, Catholic influences, and modern-day fun only someone living in Denmark gets to truly experience. Children dress up in costumes (similar to Halloween) and take turns hitting a wooden barrel filled with candy - except traditionally, the barrel used to contain a live black cat; the idea was to drive away evil spirits, but today, the cat is thankfully just painted on the side of the barrel. Whoever breaks the barrel open is crowned Cat Queen, while the one who knocks down the actual barrel is the Cat King.  

For this special day on March 2nd, many bakeries sold fastelavnboller, a decadent cream-filled pastry that only appears this time of year because it is a seasonal delicacy. The classic version includes cardamom-spiced buns with jam. Locals debate whether the newer version with chocolate, fruit and marzipan is an acceptable evolution of the fastevnboller. 

The soft, buttery dough of the fastevnboller kept the inside creamy core of the pastry hidden, and when you bit into it, you got the perfect texture balance. It was messy, indulgent, and so worth it. The velvet custard and sweet glaze on top adds the perfect touch. Each bakery has so many flavors of these pastries and I remember being so overwhelmed with pastry goodness. My favorite flavor was the vanilla, but the strawberry was a close second.

My Kollegium had a Fastelavn party. There was something strangely fun about a group of university students dressed in funny costumes taking turns hitting a wooden barrel while cheering each other on. It was fun to experience, let go, and have fun with some of my kollegium peers. I felt like I had unlocked a unique gem hidden inside Danish culture; it was something I would not have understood if I hadn't been there. Its traditional roots mixed with today's modern touch make this Scandinavian carnival informative and so much fun!