‘Tis the baking season in Sweden. Or so it would seem, especially if you’re keeping tabs on us here at Transparent.  We’ve written about Semlor and just the other day we got a lovely recipe for some äpplekaka.  Neither of which I have dared tried making on my own.  But it gets better, because this Friday is våffeldagen.  Waffle day!

I am not a linguist, nor a baker for that matter, but apparently våffeldagen is one of those linguistic evolutions from vårfrudagen.  Vårfru is of course, Our Lady – the Virgin Mary.  I suppose it isn’t too hard to see how vårfru becomes våffel.  Of course, what I’ve done there can best be described as an elementary form of folk linguistics. I’ll leave the research up to you guys.

What seems to have happened then is that a once religious holiday has become, well, less religious to say the least.  One might argue this has something to do with the secular nature of the country.  Others might just argue that waffles are delicious.  And as spring meets several starts and stops filled with snow on its way to Sweden, it’s not a bad idea to take some time to enjoy a waffle.

I’m not going to give you a recipe for waffles I’m afraid, it’d be a little bit like your vegetarian friend telling you to try the alligator tongue wrapped in bacon. Maybe not the best person to be taking meat eating advice from, although bacon is delicious. But just like your friend, I am not the best person to be taking baking advice from.

Regardless of the history and linguistics behind the movement, or the recipe used, people throughout Sweden will be enjoying våffeldagen.  Even some Swedish-Americans will be celebrating their heritage by celebrating våffeldagen in the US.  Will you be celebrating? If so, where? We’d love to hear from you!