The History of Waffle Day

Why do we celebrate waffle day? The short answer: any excuse to enjoy waffles sounds good to us! The long answer? For that we have to go back a little ways, and learn a bit of Swedish.

Originally the Swedes celebrated Vårfrudagen, or ‘Our Lady’s Day’, which is when they participated in the feast of the annunciation, the day in the Bible that Gabriel visited Mary. The word Vårfrudagen sounds very similar to våffeldage or waffle day, and so the celebration of Our Lady’s Day began to include waffles and eventually the day took on waffle’s as its main focus. Now we celebrate Waffles Day, which is traditionally celebrated on March 25th. This year at Little Scandinavia however we’re celebrating on March 22nd, with the hope that you’ll join us and that the Swede’s will forgive us for taking mild liberties with the date.

Waffles in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries are traditionally eaten with any combination of syrup, whipped cream, berries, and jam. Lingonberry jam is a popular choice. Whatever your choice of toppings and whatever the day, waffles are always a great choice, and we’re always ready to celebrate at Little Scandinavia!