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"Fastelavn" is a tradition dating back to the 16th century and is a mixture of Halloween and a carnival event. Fastelavn is celebrated in February and children dress up in costumes to take turns hitting a wooden barrel filled with candy and treats. It's similar to a piñata, although instead of sweets, a live black cat was traditionally inside of the barrel. (But don't worry! Nowadays, the cat has been switched out for the sweets and the barrel is simply decorated with a painted version of a black cat).

The barrel ritual ("Slå katten af tønden") has been practiced for centuries and the same rules still apply today. The game continues until the entire barrel is broken. The one who knocks the bottom off the barrel (causing all of the candy to spill out) becomes the kattedronning ("queen of cats"); the one who knocks off the last piece of the barrel becomes the kattekonge ("king of cats"). Historically, it was believed that beating the barrel and chasing the black cat symbolized demolishing evil and chasing it away. This was practiced up until the 1800s, with the last known event occurring in the 1880s. The cat was not killed, but allowed to escape when the barrel was broken. The practice was also popular in Holland and similar events were known to take place in Germany, called "Katzenschlagen”.

Today, Fastelavn is mostly a fun tradition kept alive by young children at daycare institutions and primary schools. The best part of Fastelavn for adults is the Fastelavnsboller (sweet choux buns with thick cream or jam in the middle) Read more about Fastelavn, its origin and its traditions here.