FAT THURSDAY.
THE TRUE TASTE OF POLISH TRADITION.
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WHEN…
do we celebrate Fat Thursday?
Fat Thursday is a moveable feast. It always falls during the last week of carnival and is the final Thursday before Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday. The exact date depends on Easter. W 2027 roku Tłusty Czwartek przypada 4 lutego. A zamówienia u nas można składać na 3, 4 i 5 lutego — tak, żeby każdy zdążył spróbować.
History…
of Fat Thursday
Where did Fat Thursday come from? The tradition goes back to ancient times. It was a day of celebrating the coming of spring. For the Romans, it was a real feast day, full of rich food and wine. People mostly ate meat, and for dessert they served something like doughnuts made from bread dough, not filled with jam, but… with pieces of bacon.
The Tradition of Fat Thursday
In Poland, the tradition of Fat Thursday appeared in the 16th century. This “fat day” was the beginning of an entire “fat week”, full of celebrations and richly laid tables. People wanted to eat their fill before the long 40 days of Lent, which at that time was treated very seriously. People even used to say that if you didn’t eat a doughnut on Fat Thursday, the coming months might not go very well for you.
Mówiono nawet, że kto w Tłusty Czwartek nie zje pączka, temu w kolejnych miesiącach może się nie układać.
The old-style doughnuts were called “belly doughnuts” and were fried in lard. They were sweet, but often sprinkled with crispy pork crackling. They were also much harder than today’s doughnuts, because they were made from thick dough without yeast. Sometimes an almond or a nut was hidden inside and the person who found this “lucky doughnut” was said to have good fortune for the whole year.
Interestingly, the very first doughnuts were sometimes savoury: they were stuffed with meat, bacon or cabbage. Later, sweet versions with marmalade and icing appeared, because people believed that light, shiny pastries brought good luck. In poorer homes, where there wasn’t much fat, doughnuts were baked in a bread oven or fried on a metal plate, and to keep the “fat” part of the tradition, they were served with crackling.
In the Małopolska region, Fat Thursday used to be called “Comber Thursday”. According to legend, a strict mayor of Kraków named Comber died on that day. From then on, the women who sold at the market organised lively games and dances, inviting men to join them, partly out of mischief and partly in memory of that story.
And today? It is estimated that on Fat Thursday, people in Poland eat more than 100 million doughnutsAnd it doesn’t look like anyone plans to slow down.
Some of our doughnuts
Fat Thursday
Fat Thursday around the world?
It’s not only us, the Polish people, who enjoy sweets on Fat Thursday. Other countries celebrate too, just in a slightly different way. In the United States and the United Kingdom there is what’s called Pancake Day, and in Russia people celebrate Maslenitsa. Instead of doughnuts, pancakes and various types of fritters take the lead. They are served in many ways: with peanut butter, chocolate, sweet cheese, and finally everything is topped with syrup. Quite a feast! Solidnie!
With us it’s doughnuts, with them it’s pancakes. Everyone has their own “fat” tradition.
A sweet tradition
How do we celebrate Fat Thursday today?
Although Lent before Easter is no longer observed as strictly as it used to be, the tradition of Fat Thursday is still loved and carefully kept. It’s simply the day when a doughnut is a must. Otherwise it doesn’t count. On Fat Thursday nobody holds back. Doughnuts, faworki and other sweets appear in almost every home. According to old beliefs, if someone doesn’t eat at least one doughnut on this day, good luck may slip away in the coming year. As the name suggests, it should be rich, joyful and sweet. That’s why the doughnut has become the symbol of this day. So… take a doughnut in your hand and simply enjoy the moment.
