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Fat Thursday known as “Tłusty Czwartek” is probably one of the best days in the whole year. Everyone is celebrating this day by eating doughnuts called pączki. Make sure to visit a Polish pastry shop today and try some delicious doughnuts!
Fat Thursday is a religious observance celebrated in certain countries that occurs on the Thursday before the beginning of Lent. It is a time for revelry and feasting before the period of fasting for Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. People take the opportunity to indulge in foods and activities that are not allowed during the time of fasting.
This day is usually celebrated with a lot of food, as people gather in homes or cafés with family and friends. During Lent, people usually do not eat foods such as pączki in Poland or Berliner doughnuts filled with rose hip jam, as well as angel wings (faworki) and puff pastry fingers served with powdered sugar.
In Poland, Tłusty Czwartek (Fat Thursday) is celebrated by buying pastries from local bakeries. Popular treats include pączki (doughnuts) which are deep-fried balls of yeast pastry, usually with a fruity jam or rose petal jam filling. Pączki are covered in icing, glaze, or powdered sugar. Angel wings (faworki) are also traditionally enjoyed on this special day.
Check out our recipes for the very best Polish paczki (homemade!) and Polish faworki 😋
According to some data, it is estimated that Poles eat about 100 mln doughnuts on that very special day. It gives an average of 2.5 pieces of gourmet delicacy per person.