Fettisdag

I quess in English this time of year is called Shrovetide but here the name for today can be directly translated as the Fat Tuesday. I know it has something to do with starting the fast that's supposed to go on until Easter but I'm too tired to remember or find out what. To me the meaning of this day has always been the pastrys and occasionally sledding.

The traditional swedish pastry for this holiday is the "semla" which is a bun filled with marzipan and whipped cream. We eat those in Finland as well but there we call them "laskiaispulla". The Swedish-speaking people in Finland call it "fastlagsbulle" which is the direct translation from Finnish. If you ask for a "semla" in Finland you get a bread roll and if you ask for a "fastlagsbulle" here in Sweden you get looked at as if you were an idiot. Asking for just a "bulle" would get you a plain bun. Except in southern parts of Sweden where it would mean a bread roll. Confused yet? I know I am.

"Kanelbulle" on the other hand means a cinnamon bun both in Finland and the whole Sweden. But it is also another name for @-sign. Swedes even have a special day for cinnamon buns, "kanelbulledag", but I don't remember when it is.