Fastelavn

Fastelavn[1] 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.

[5] The term Fastelavn comes from Old Danish fastelaghen, which was a borrowing of the Middle Low German vastel-avent, meaning "fast-evening", or the day before Lent.

Fastelavn is related to the Roman Catholic tradition of Carnival in the days before Lent, although after Denmark became a Protestant nation the festival adopted certain distinctive characteristics.

In Iceland, Ísafjörður is the only town that celebrates Fastelavn on the same day as the other Nordic countries, on Monday, locally known as Maskadagur (mask-day).

[8] As in Carnival traditions elsewhere, dressing up in costumes forms an important part of Fastelavn in all the Nordic Lutheran countries where this festivity is celebrated.

From 1863, the artist federation kunstnerforeningen held annual Carnival balls in the old freemasons lodge, which inspired Johan Svendsen's compositions "Norsk Kunstnerkarneval" and "Karneval in Paris".

Since 1988, the student organization Tårnseilerne have produced annual masquerade balls in Oslo in the historical renovated freemasons lodge in the Carnival tradition, with masks, costumes and processions after attending an opera performance.

[citation needed] Traditional events include slå katten af tønden ("hit the cat out of the barrel"), which is somewhat similar to using a piñata.

The more serious one is that after the reformation, particularly pious people used to lightly flog their children on Good Friday to remind them of the sufferings of Christ on the cross.

[citation needed] A similar custom is mentioned in the book "Frauenzimmerlexicon", published in 1715 in Leipzig (Germany), which describes how bachelors and virgins "bid each other goodmorning" by flogging each other and spreading ashes on each other.

During Shrovetide, faithful Christians attend Mass; on Quinquagesima Sunday, a special family service is held in parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark in which children dress up in costume.

"[4] After the church service concludes, congregants enjoy Shrovetide buns (fastelavnsboller) while children celebrate the custom of knocking the barrel (which symbolizes battling evil) and then consuming the sweets and fruit within it.

[4] Fastelavn processions are not practised on any notable scale anymore, but used to form an important part of the festivities for centuries in Denmark.

If married people and the elderly wanted to take part in the festivities, they could put on costumes and visit friends to tease and have fun.

[12] On Shrove Sunday, parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark hold special family services in which children dress up in costume.

The boat was decorated, sometimes with mythological figures, and when it stopped on its route through town, onlookers were expected to feed a collection box for charity.