This comming monday Icelandic kids get to wake their parents by spanking them. In return for each spank they achieve before the parents wake up and stop them the children get creamy, chocolaty buns. It’s Bun Day! Unfortunately as we dont have any kids and Suzy is not your typical Icelandic housewife I dont expect to get any buns at home. However the bakeries will be full of them so that is where I’ll be headed.
This Icelandic custom has it’s origins in christianity and was brought here through Danish and Norwegian bakers in the 19th century. Bolludagur (e. Bun Day) is the second day before ash wedensday. In the past the last two days before the long fast that starts on ash wedensday were used to get used to not having any meet in your diet. How buns came into it I dont know! The spanking however is believed to have it’s roots in the symbolic self beatings from christianity in the middle ages.
The day after bun day is Sprengidagur (e. explotion day) where you eat salted meat untill your completely full and then the wedensday is Öskudagur (e. ash wedensday). Out of the three Bolludagur is defenately my favourite 
In case you would like to make some of those buns your self here is a recipe for vatnsdeigsbollur:
1,2 cups water
75 grams butter/margarine
175 grams flour
4-5 eggs
Boil water and butter together in a pot. Then add the flour and stir until the dough shines and loosens from the pot. Cool the dough (I put it into the fridge to save time). When the dough is cool, add the eggs, one by one. Use a spoon to make little buns (they can be of any sizes) and put on oiled oven plate. Bake on 200°C (400°F) for 25-40 minutes (based on how big you made the buns). Remember DO NOT open the oven the first 15 minutes, otherwise the buns will fall.
