Fastelavn in Denmark, as in other Catholic countries before the Reformation, Shrovetide heralded the beginning of Lent, which lasted until Good Friday. Although Lent was abolished in Denmark, the Shrovetide traditions and jollities lived on.
Originally Shrovetide was an old heathen Spring festival, and must have had a special attraction for the Danes, since it is still celebrated today as the custom of tilting at a barrel :.... supposedly containing a cat. In olden days it was sheer cruelty to animals, since there was in faet a cat in the barrell
Carneval, too, has still survived, although this custom is slowly dying out. The word "carneval" comes from Roman times and is the Latin for "meat" (carne) and "farewell" (vale). That is to say, "carneval" meant a "farewell to meat" - though fish was permitted insteadl
Until the time of the Reformation, Shrovetide consisted of a grand spread preceding the Fast. Today the exces ses are restricted to pastries like pretzels and Shrovetide buns.