Fastelavn

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Fastelavn is a Danish holiday that is celebrated seven weeks before Easter Sunday. It originates in the Catholic tradition of Carnival, and the name derives from German Fastelabend ("night before fast"). It used be a large feast to celebrate the beginning of Lent. Today, however, it might be described as a Danish Halloween with children dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating or gatherings treats for the Fastelavn feast.

Other traditional aspects include slå katten af tønden ("hit the cat out of the barrel"), which is somewhat similar to a piñata, except that there is a wooden barrel, which is full of candy and has the image of a cat on it. Historically there was a real black cat in the barrel, and beating it was superstitiously considered a safeguard against evil. After the candy pours out, the game continues until the entire barrel is broken. The one who knocks down the last piece of the barrel become kattekonge ("king of cats") or kattedronning ("queen of cats").

A popular baked good associated with the day is Fastelavnsbolle (lit. "Fastelavns bun", also known in English as "shrovetide bun" or "lenten bun"), a round sweet roll usually covered with icing and filled with cream. Similar buns are eaten in other northern European countries, for example the Swedish Semla.

Some towns in Denmark are renown for their large Fastelavn festivities and parades.