Paczki Day

Paczki Day

Thursday before Lent in Poland; Tuesday before Lent in the United States

Paczki Day is a day in early to mid February in Poland and the United States on which a rich, jelly- or crÅme-filled doughnut is traditionally eaten in anticipation of the 40 days of fasting required during the religious season of Lent. In Poland, the observance of Paczki Day is known as Thusty Czwartek, or Fat Thursday; in the United States, Polish-Americans celebrate Paczki Day on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, which signals the beginning of Lent. Since at least the Middle Ages, consuming butter or lard was prohibited during the observance of Lent in Poland. In the final days before the fast began, households traditionally used up their stores of these products by preparing rich foods such as cakes and pastries. Paczki are made of dense, rich dough that is deep-fried and may be filled with fruit-flavored jam or crÅme; they are often glazed or coated with powdered sugar.
In the United States, areas with large Polish-American populations—such as Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit—have widely adopted the custom of eating paczki in the days prior to the start of Lent, with many Polish neighborhoods taking on a festival atmosphere as patrons flock to ethnic bakeries for authentic paczki. In the largely Polish-American community of Hamtramck, Michigan, free, continuous entertainment is provided throughout the day, an annual paczki-eating contest is held, and radio stations broadcast live from the scene. Throughout the community, bars open as early as 7:00 am on Paczki Day and offer traditional Polish cuisine, including pierogi, golumpki, and kielbasa; in addition, many serve specialty items including "paczki shots" or liquor-filled paczki.

CONTACTS:
Embassy of The Republic of Poland
2640 16th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009
202-234-3800
www.washington.polemb.net
City of Hamtramck, Michigan
3401 Evaline
Hamtramck, MI 48212
313-876-7700
www.hamtramck.us/events/pages/paczki.php

SOURCES:
EncyEaster-2002, p. 426
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