Norway’s Carnival: Fastelavn
If you’re traveling to Norway during February you might be surprised to find out that the country has its very own version of a carnival. The festival is called Fastelavn and it is meant to celebrate the promise of Spring’s return.It is celebrated in most Scandinavian countries and similar traditions occur in countries like Brazil and Portugal.
Traditionally, the festival was centered around a big feast to allow for a little indulgence before the beginning of Lent when many fast for 40 days. Today, the festival has less of a religious connotation for Norwegians but the celebrations live on.
If you’re going to be in Norway at the end of February for Fastelavn, consider yourself lucky! This festival contains many unique foods and entertaining activities.
Fastelavnsboller
The best part of Fastelavn? Well, this is up for debate, but Fastelavnboller would definitely be a contender. These sweet buns are typically covered in icing sugar and filled with a sweet custard. Needless to say, they are delicious. If you’re lucky enough to be in Norway for Fastelavn don’t forget to grab these sweets fresh from a bakery in the morning. If you’re hoping to experience more of Norway’s local food tradition, join us for a Norwegian food tours experience!
Costumes
If you love watching little ones in their costumes on Halloween you’ll definitely love being in Norway for Fastelavn. Part of the festival traditions for children involves dress-up. Young Norwegians dress in costumes and celebrate Fastelavn in kinder garden and school.
Games
Fastelavn games have a somewhat strange and unfortunate history. What has now become a fun game of pinata used to be a fertility ritual in which young and infertile women were flogged. From there, the tradition thankfully evolved; however, it didn’t evolve quite enough because, in the new version, cats bore the brunt of the pain.
Each year, a black cat would be placed in a barrel. The barrel would be repeatedly hit with what is known as a fastelavnsris or a stick. Once the barrel was cracked open the cat would (understandably!) run away and this was seen as a symbolic way of chasing away evil and bad luck.
Thankfully, those traditions no longer exist today. Instead, children hit a pinata-like object. The first to crack open the pinata is given the title of ‘Queen of the Cats’ while the child that breaks the bottom of the pinata is given the title of ‘King of the Cats’
If you’re traveling in Norway at the end of February and want to incorporate some Fastelavn celebrations into your plans, get in touch with us to find out how you can participate in this longstanding tradition.
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Fjord cruise and dinner at Cornelius
Bergen • 5 hr
From 1495NOK
Available all year
Exclusive Experience
Local food tasting in Flåm
Flåm • 1 hr
From 550NOK
Available 15 May - 15 October
A Norwegian evening on the Oslofjord
Oslo • 3 hr
From 659NOK
Available 8 May - 5 October
Glamping at Trolltunga
Multiple locations • 1 day 4 hr
From 4750NOK
Available 1 May - 1 December
Best seller
Dinner cruise on the Oslofjord
Oslo • 2 hr 30 min
From 1290NOK
Available all year
Ulriken Gondola & lunch with a view
Bergen • 2 hr 30 min
From 1099NOK
Available all year
Geirangerfjord winter cruise
Ålesund • 9 hr
From 2550NOK
Available 1 November - 30 March
Travelers love this!
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Articles about Norwegian food and cuisine
Traditional Norwegian food
Norway has a lot of interesting traditional food, and any travelers visiting Norway would do well to sample some of the local cuisines. Culinary traditions in Norway have been dominated by meat, fish, and seafood that could be hunted or caught. These days the Norwegian food space represents an interesting mix of old and new due to culinary influences from all over the world.
Norwegian cider’s rise in popularity
Cider brewing is a Norwegian custom that dates all the way back to the 13th century. However, once the Vinmonopolet or the Wine Monopoly came into effect, the practice largely died down. Despite this, Norwegians continued to brew cider in their homes and cellars. And now the drink is experiencing a surge in popularity yet again. If you’re a cider lover planning a visit to Norway, here’s everything you need to know!
Top 3 Norwegian recipes to try
If you are a foodie or even just a lover of barbecue, then you will definitely want to make sure that you take a trip to Norway to experience the incredible local cuisine in places like Bergen and Røros. To give you a small taste of the kind of culinary experience you will get in Norway, here are three top Norwegian recipes that you can easily make at home.
Sustainable eating trends
Norway is already publicly recognized by almost every foodie as being home to some of the tastiest cuisine options in the world, with some truly exquisite national recipes like lutefisk and pinnekjøtt originating in Nordic countries. But what you may not know is that Norway is also a leader in bio-farming and sustainable food production.
Here's what you'll experience at this record-setting underwater restaurant
There are a lot of fantastic things to experience on land in Norway, but there is a new exciting activity that takes you under the water. At the southern tip of Norway in Lindesnes, you can find the world's largest underwater restaurant.
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When your every-day activities include pillaging villages and exploring the impressive fjords in Norway, you are going to need a lot of energy to sustain yourself. This means eating some pretty astonishing meals in order to maintain proper health with such an active lifestyle.
What do you eat with Brunost?
Every culture will have its own set of unique food items that either impress or disgust visitors when they try it upon visiting. Norway is no different and offers an assortment of delicious Norwegian food that is unlike anything that can be found anywhere else in the world. Some of the more common examples include lutefisk and pinnekjøtt.
What is lefse?
Whether you’re planning to visit Norway or are just interested in Norwegian culture and tradition, you’ll want to find out more about lefse. Lefse has a long-standing history as a traditional food in Norway, and it remains about as popular today as it was a hundred years ago. Let’s take a closer look at what this tasty, simple food is all about!
Traditional Norwegian food
Norway has a lot of interesting traditional food, and any travelers visiting Norway would do well to sample some of the local cuisines. Culinary traditions in Norway have been dominated by meat, fish, and seafood that could be hunted or caught. These days the Norwegian food space represents an interesting mix of old and new due to culinary influences from all over the world.
Norwegian cider’s rise in popularity
Cider brewing is a Norwegian custom that dates all the way back to the 13th century. However, once the Vinmonopolet or the Wine Monopoly came into effect, the practice largely died down. Despite this, Norwegians continued to brew cider in their homes and cellars. And now the drink is experiencing a surge in popularity yet again. If you’re a cider lover planning a visit to Norway, here’s everything you need to know!
Top 3 Norwegian recipes to try
If you are a foodie or even just a lover of barbecue, then you will definitely want to make sure that you take a trip to Norway to experience the incredible local cuisine in places like Bergen and Røros. To give you a small taste of the kind of culinary experience you will get in Norway, here are three top Norwegian recipes that you can easily make at home.
Sustainable eating trends
Norway is already publicly recognized by almost every foodie as being home to some of the tastiest cuisine options in the world, with some truly exquisite national recipes like lutefisk and pinnekjøtt originating in Nordic countries. But what you may not know is that Norway is also a leader in bio-farming and sustainable food production.
Here's what you'll experience at this record-setting underwater restaurant
There are a lot of fantastic things to experience on land in Norway, but there is a new exciting activity that takes you under the water. At the southern tip of Norway in Lindesnes, you can find the world's largest underwater restaurant.
What did the average viking eat?
When your every-day activities include pillaging villages and exploring the impressive fjords in Norway, you are going to need a lot of energy to sustain yourself. This means eating some pretty astonishing meals in order to maintain proper health with such an active lifestyle.
What do you eat with Brunost?
Every culture will have its own set of unique food items that either impress or disgust visitors when they try it upon visiting. Norway is no different and offers an assortment of delicious Norwegian food that is unlike anything that can be found anywhere else in the world. Some of the more common examples include lutefisk and pinnekjøtt.
What is lefse?
Whether you’re planning to visit Norway or are just interested in Norwegian culture and tradition, you’ll want to find out more about lefse. Lefse has a long-standing history as a traditional food in Norway, and it remains about as popular today as it was a hundred years ago. Let’s take a closer look at what this tasty, simple food is all about!