Spring08: Happy Fat Thursday, everybody!

Fat Thursday 2008. Today, January 31, marks the holiday of "Fat Thursday" in 2008. You have probably heard of "Mardi Gras" ("Fat Tuesday") which is a holiday celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday (that will be next week). Well, "Fat Thursday" is a similar holiday, marking the last Thursday before Lent; you can read more at wikipedia. The Fat Thursday holiday is especially celebrated in Germany (where it is called Fettdonnerstag) and in Poland (where it is called Tłusty czwartek). I know the holiday from when I lived in Poland; massive quantities of pączki are consumed on this day, so that people will be ready to give up sugar for Lent. I could translate the word pączki as "jelly doughnuts," but this does not begin to do them justice! So, in honor of Fat Thursday, here is a picture of some Polish pączki:

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Comment by Anne Mirtschin on January 31, 2008 at 3:19am: How very interesting Laura? Do you call the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday Shrove Tuesday or pancake day as that is what we call it here in Australia. However no holidays, only for Easter itself.

Comment by Laura Gibbs on January 31, 2008 at 6:58am: I have heard about pancake day- I was not sure where that term was used, though! In America, New Orleans has made the Mardi Gras term very popular. What is interesting is that this year it coincides exactly with the day called "Super Tuesday" where a whole series of primary elections in many states will perhaps determine the Dem. and Rep. presidential candidates. Quite a Tuesday next week! :-)