Tłusty Czwartek: Poland’s sweetest holiday

Why have beads when you can have doughnuts?

Unlike many countries which have wild Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) parties, today Poland has Tłusty Czwartek – Fat Thursday. Celebrated on the last Thursday before Lent, Fat Thursday is meant to be a feast day to precede the more somber period of fasting and abstinence which traditionally follows in observance of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Poles usually celebrate Fat Thursday with various deep-fried pastries, especially pączki – jelly-filled doughnuts. For bakeries, this is probably the most profitable day of the year, as customers line up outside starting early in the morning to get their fill.

You can read more about what kind of pastries you should try today, or stay tuned for photos of fresh pączki made by volunteers with The Krakow Post‘s sister organization Eataway to support a children’s home in Krakow