It’s Pączki (punch-kee) Time!
Here in the United States, we celebrate Mardi Gras and refer to the last day before Lent as ‘Fat Tuesday’. In Poland, they call the celebration Karnawal (Carnival) and choose to refer to this day as ‘Fat Thursday’, or the last Thursday before Ash Wednesday. The day preceding Fat Thursday is one of the hardest days of the year for bakers and confectioners in Poland. One of the most favorite baked goods for this time of year is pączki.
In the 16th century, pączki were made with bread dough, filled with pork fat, and fried in lard. Over time, these evolved into sweet pastries. Traditionally available for only 24 hours on Fat Thursday (also known as Tłusty Czwartek), pączki are now offered throughout the entire Carnival period and even during Lent in most bakeries in the United States and Poland.
This year, Lent begins on Wednesday, March 5 (Ash Wednesday) and ends at sundown on Thursday, April 17 (Holy Thursday).
Polish Americans Celebrate Pączki Day
According to an article written by Michigan State University, in the United States, Pączki Day was always popular in the Polish communities since the beginning of the 20th century. Polish immigrants settled in different parts of the U.S. such as Detroit, Michigan; Baltimore, Maryland; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Buffalo, New York; and especially Hamtramck, Michigan, where the Polish bakeries would have pączki for sale on Fat Tuesday morning. In smaller communities, it was the local Polish parish that came together to make and sell pączki.
How are pączki made? Here is a recipe you can try!
- Pączki are made with a sweeter, denser dough than regular donuts.
- They are often filled with fruit jams or pastes.
- They are covered with powdered sugar or icing.
When are pączki eaten?
- In Poland, pączki are traditionally eaten on Fat Thursday, the last Thursday before Lent.
- In North America, pączki are often eaten on Fat Tuesday, which combines with other pre-Lenten traditions.
- In some Polish-heavy Midwestern cities in the U.S., Fat Tuesday is also known as Paczki Day.
Fun Fact about Pączki
In Poland, some bakers use almond paste as a filling for a few p
ączki instead of the customary fruit filling. It is believed that those who receive one of these almond paste fillings will have good luck for the coming year.
Conversely, a Polish proverb states that failing to eat at least one doughnut on Fat Thursday may result in a lack of success in life. I don’t know about you, but I think I will enjoy some pączki to help me be more successful!
