Within the last decade Halloween started being celebrated in Denmark. Just like in the U.S., Danes carve pumpkins, kids dress up and go trick-or-treating and lots of people put up spooky decor. A few of Brev’s teammates grew up trick-or-treating, but most of them said Halloween became popular after their time.
Before Halloween, the closest holiday that Danes celebrated was Fastelavn. During Fastelavn, kids dress up in costumes, eat sweet buns and smack a barrel like a piñata. However, the costumes and sweets are where the similarities between Fastelavn and Halloween end.
Fastelavn is an old Danish tradition dating back to medieval times and literally means “the evening before Lent.” The holiday is based on the Catholic tradition of celebrating the run-up to Lent and is basically the feast before the 40 days of Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter Sunday.
However, today Lent is not widely practiced and Fastelavn has largely become a fun-focused children’s festival “featuring merry and distinctive traditions.”
The Jo Show 