Traditions · Denmark

Danish Fastelavn

Denmark's pre-Lenten carnival has everything: costumes, a game where children beat a barrel until candy falls out, a crowned winner, and cream buns. Fastelavn is Shrove Sunday done Scandinavian-style.

In brief

Fastelavn is Denmark's pre-Lenten carnival, celebrated on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. Children dress in costumes, play slå katten af tønden (hit the cat out of the barrel) — a game where a wooden barrel filled with candy is beaten open — and eat fastelavnsboller, soft cream buns that are Denmark's answer to the English pancake. The winner of the barrel game becomes Kattekong (Cat King) or Kattedronning (Cat Queen) for the day.

What is Fastelavn?

Fastelavn is Denmark's pre-Lenten carnival — a festival celebrated on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, equivalent to Shrove Sunday. It is primarily a children's occasion, combining costumes, traditional games, and the eating of special buns.

The name Fastelavn derives from Low German words meaning “fast evening” — it refers to the eve of the Lenten fast (Fasten = fast). The same word is used in Norway; Sweden has an equivalent tradition under the name Fettisdagen (Fat Tuesday) or, more recently, Semmeldagen (Semla Day).

While Denmark is no longer a strongly observant Catholic country, Fastelavn has survived as a secular children's holiday much as Halloween or Easter have in other countries — the religious origin is largely forgotten, but the customs remain popular and are actively transmitted through families and schools.

Why do Danish children beat a barrel? (Slå katten af tønden)

Slå katten af tønden — “hit the cat out of the barrel” — is the central Fastelavn game. A decorated wooden barrel is suspended from a frame, filled with candy, and children take turns hitting it with a stick until it breaks open. The child who breaks the bottom of the barrel becomes Kattedronning (Cat Queen); the one who delivers the final blow becomes Kattekong (Cat King).

The name preserves a much older tradition. Until the practice was banned in the 19th century, a live black cat was placed inside the barrel. The cat was associated with evil and bad luck — particularly with the Devil in some folk traditions. Breaking the barrel and releasing the cat was a symbolic act of driving out evil before the purifying season of Lent. The candy-filled barrel is the modern, humane replacement.

The barrels used today are typically decoratively painted and produced in batches for the Fastelavn season. Schools, kindergartens, and family gatherings all play the game. The crowned winners receive paper crowns — the Cat King's crown and the Cat Queen's crown are Fastelavn staples, sold in every supermarket during the season.

Fastelavnsboller: Denmark's pre-Lenten buns

Fastelavnsboller are soft, enriched buns eaten at Fastelavn — the Danish equivalent of the English pancake, serving the same pre-Lenten function of using up rich ingredients before fasting.

They come in several forms. The classic version is a soft, slightly sweet yeast bun with a cream and jam filling, topped with icing or fondant. Choux pastry versions filled with whipped cream are also popular. Bakeries throughout Denmark produce fastelavnsboller in large quantities from January, and competitive debates about whose are best are a genuine seasonal ritual.

A tradition associated with fastelavnsboller is the fastelavnsris: children decorate a bundle of birch twigs with ribbons, feathers, and small sweets, and use them to gently “beat” their parents awake on Fastelavn morning, chanting songs about receiving buns. The parents are then obliged to provide fastelavnsboller — so the beating is more incentive mechanism than punishment.

When is Fastelavn?

Fastelavn falls on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday — two days before Shrove Tuesday. Like Pancake Day, the date changes every year because it is tied to Easter.

Upcoming Fastelavn dates

YearFastelavn Sunday
20277 February 2027
202827 February 2028
202911 February 2029

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Fastelavn?+
Fastelavn is Denmark's pre-Lenten carnival, celebrated on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday (and, in some traditions, the Monday before as well). It is primarily a children's festival involving costumes, the barrel-beating game (slå katten af tønden), and fastelavnsboller — soft cream buns. The word Fastelavn comes from Low German words meaning "fast evening," referring to the eve of the Lenten fast.
Why do Danish children beat a barrel at Fastelavn?+
The barrel-beating game (slå katten af tønden — "hit the cat out of the barrel") is the defining Fastelavn game. A wooden barrel is hung from a tree or frame and children take turns hitting it with sticks until it breaks open and candy pours out. Historically, a live black cat was placed inside the barrel — the ritual was believed to drive away evil. The cat has not been used for centuries; the modern version is entirely about the candy and the fun of the game.
What are fastelavnsboller?+
Fastelavnsboller are soft, sweet buns eaten at Fastelavn. They come in several styles: some are plain, some filled with cream and jam, some topped with icing or marzipan. The cream-filled version, similar to a choux pastry or cream puff, is the most popular. Bakeries across Denmark start selling fastelavnsboller weeks before Fastelavn. They are the Danish equivalent of England's pancakes — the traditional pre-Lenten food.
When is Fastelavn in Denmark?+
Fastelavn is celebrated on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday — seven weeks before Easter Sunday. Because Easter is a moveable feast, Fastelavn's date shifts each year. The Monday following (Fastelavn Monday) is sometimes also observed with continued celebrations.
Who becomes the Cat King or Cat Queen at Fastelavn?+
In the barrel-beating game, the child who delivers the final blow that breaks the barrel completely becomes the Kattekong (Cat King) or Kattedronning (Cat Queen). They receive a paper crown and the status of Carnival royalty for the day. The child who knocks off the bottom of the barrel — the first piece to fall — is often named the Cat Queen in some regional traditions.
Is Fastelavn similar to Halloween?+
There are surface similarities: children dress in costumes and go door to door. But Fastelavn's origins are pre-Lenten rather than associated with All Hallows' Eve, and the goal is to collect fastelavnsboller (cream buns) rather than sweets. The traditions are independent of each other and belong to different calendar occasions.

More Shrove Tuesday traditions

→Shrove Tuesday around the world — the full guide→Sweet buns of Shrovetide: semla, fastelavnsboller & more→Iceland's Bun Day, Bursting Day & Ash Day→Estonian Vastlapäev→Japanese soufflé pancake recipe

Sources & further reading

  • Fastelavn — Wikipedia
  • Fastelavn: Danish Carnival Traditions — Danish Cultural Institute
  • Complete Guide to Fastelavn Traditions in Denmark — Scandinavia Standard
  • History of Fastelavn — Nordic Northwest

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