FASTELAVN : success Sat. Feb 18th, 2023. at the “House of Denmark” cottage.
Hello Everyone,
As we enjoy the rain this weekend, I’m so glad it was dry last Saturday. We had a great Fastelavn turnout with plenty of candy and boller! I really appreciate everyone’s help with promoting the event, baking, providing craft supplies and branches, song leading, setting up and putting away. Our little ones were very patient while the candy barrel was slowly being smashed. Jonas’ batting skills hastened the process. Thanks to Rasmus and Michael no one had to visit urgent care!
Fastelavn is the Danish version of carnival. It evolved from the Catholic tradition of having a feast before the start of Lent, but today it is not associated with religion. It takes place seven weeks before Easter Sunday and is a bit like a Nordic Halloween in that children dress up in costumes and get treats.
We love celebrating fastelavn in San Diego where costumes don’t have to allow for freezing temperatures. Children play a traditional game called slÃ¥ katten af tønden (“beat the cat out of the barrelâ€) in which they hit a candy filled wooden barrel with a picture of a cat on it, piñata style. After the candy pours out, the game continues until the barrel is entirely broken.
We also eat a wonderful traditional pastry and make a special craft for the season.
