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Iceland Mag

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"Blast day" is the Icelandic equivalence of Mardi Gras

By Staff |Feb 9 2016

  • Eat your fill Soup made from lentils and vegetables and salted meat are eaten on Sprengidagur. Photo/Bragi H. from Wikipedia

Today is Sprengidagur, or “Blast day”.

This is the Icelandic equivalence of Mardi Gras. The Icelandic tradition holds the custom to eat soup made from lentils and vegetables accompanied with salted meat, a dish called “saltkjöt og baunir” in Icelandic. As this is the last day before Lent, a period celebrated by fasting, people would use the opportunity and eat their fill, many to the brink of bursting, hence the name.  

Read more: Bolludagur, Sprengidagur and Öskudagur: Three days of over-indulgence

Although Icelanders do not celebrate Lent by fasting anymore, the tradition of over-eating on Sprengidagur is still very much alive and well. 

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