Fat Tuesday / Shrove Tuesday

Fat Tuesday, known as "Paczki Day" for those of Polish descent, is a tradition celebrated before Lenten fasting begins on Ash Wednesday.  A paczki is a rich, deep fried donut-like pastry made from yeast dough with eggs and milk and filled with fruit jams, custard or lemon filling.  They're denser and richer than regular donuts and have the calories to prove it!  

Detroit and suburbs have large populations of people of Polish descent so they are very popular in my area.  Long lines of patrons can be found at bakeries waiting to get their paczki.  It's the last day to consume rich foods before Lent, and a way to use up the sugar, eggs, milk and fat before the 40 days of Lent begins.

Sometimes it's not just Polish bakeries who join the tradition [we got ours at a local Italian bakery who fills their pastries with cannoli cream - Yum!], and it's not just people of Polish descent who enjoy them.  My hubby and I aren't of Polish descent, but we enjoy a Pazcki every year. 

Below is a picture of this year's pazcki served on my authentic Polish pottery!

I included the Mardi Gras beads and face masks to give a nod to the French ancestry brought to Louisiana by colonists in the late 17th century.  Mardi Gras blends European traditions particularly from France, Spain, and Italy with African and Caribbean cultural influences.  The "carnival"  began on January 6 [Twelfth Night/Epiphany] and concludes with the main celebration today.  The signature food of Mardi Gras is King Cakes decorated in the colors of purple, green and gold.

I've only made a King Cake once, but Tea Time Magazine featured some Petite King Cakes that I'd like to try making next year [page 41 Jan/Feb 2026 issue].

Britain celebrates their Shrove Tuesday tradition - also known as Pancake Day - on the day before Lent as their means of using up all the rich ingredients before fasting begins.  So we began the day at our house with pancakes.  I have a great buttermilk pancake recipe that beats all the pancake box mixes.

A family friend married a man of Swedish descent and she posted on Facebook today that in Sweden they celebrate Fat Tuesday with yummy Swedish Selma Buns.  

I've come to the conclusion that all European countries have their own Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday calorie-laden traditions that immigrants brought with them when they came to the United States.  

How did you celebrate today?