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.
2 min readUpdated: Nov 25, 2025By: The Fjord Tours team
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.
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 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.
If you’re traveling in Norway at the end of February and want to incorporate some Fastelavn celebrations into your plans, join us for a Norwegian food tours experience!