‘Fastelavn’ is a Carnival tradition in the Northern European (and historically Lutheran) nations of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia, Iceland, Faroe Islands, as well as Greenland: it is celebrated seven weeks before Easter Sunday and therefore always falls on a Sunday between February 1 and March 7. Although the traditions of Fastelavn vary somewhat by country and by local region, as some traditions have changed over time, a common theme of Fastelavn in all the countries currently involves children engaging in “slå katten af tønden” by dressing up in costumes, walking door to door while they sing and gathering treats for the Fastelavn feast, a form of trick-or-treating. Today, the festivities of Fastelavn are generally considered to be a time for children’s fun and family games.
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