Dear Friends,
Let me introduce you to Fastelavn! It is one of the most fun and lively traditions in Danish culture. Imagine costumes, candy, special pastries, and a game where kids hit a wooden barrel with a stick until it breaks open and sweets fall out.
Fastelavn happens on the Sunday before Lent, which is a period in the Christian calendar when people traditionally give up certain foods for 40 days. So Fastelavn was the last big celebration before all of that. Over time the religious connection faded for many Danes, but the fun absolutely did not.
Fastelavn is Denmark's version of a carnival, and the main activity is a game called sla katten af tønden, which means "hit the cat out of the barrel." A large wooden barrel is filled with candy and hung up, and kids take turns hitting it with a stick until it breaks and the candy falls out. The child who knocks off the bottom of the barrel is called the Cat Queen, and the one who breaks the last piece is called the Cat King. They both get to wear paper crowns, which is apparently a very big deal.
The game comes from an old and rather dark tradition. In medieval times, a black cat was actually placed inside the barrel, because cats were considered bad luck. Thankfully that part is gone now, and today it is all about the candy.
