Carnival - Norway - Fastelavn
Fastelavn is a Carnival tradition in the Northern European, and historically Lutheran, nations of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The related word Fastelovend [ksh] is used for Carnival in Germany in Köln and Bonn with the same meaning. It is celebrated on either the Sunday or Monday before Ash Wednesday. Fastelavn is related to Roman Catholic tradition of Carnival in the days before Lent, but after Denmark became a Protestant nation, the festival adopted certain distinctives. The holiday occurs the week before the Christian penitential season of Lent, culminating on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The Swedish counterpart is Fettisdagen, the Icelandic is Öskudagur, and in Finland they celebrate Laskiainen. In Iceland, Ísafjörður is the only town that celebrates Fastelavn on the same day as the other Nordic countries. The day is known as Maskadagur (mask-day). The traditions of Fastelavn varies somewhat between the c...