Poles mark Fat Thursday with doughnut spree
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
04.02.2016 09:59
Bakers have their work cut out in Poland today as millions of doughnuts will be consumed to mark Fat Thursday, one of the last hurrahs before the traditional fasting of Lent.
Poles queue up for doughnuts at a bakery in Lublin, eastern Poland, 4 February. Photo: PAP/Wojciech Pacewicz
Most Poles are not overly strict these days about observing Lent's six-week period of self-denial before Easter, but the custom of eating doughnuts (pączki) on Fat Thursday (Tłusty Czwartek) has become a steadfast fixture.
Moreover, it is widely considered to be bad luck not to eat at least one doughnut on Fat Thursday.
Local newspapers typically assemble juries to rate the finest doughnuts of a given locality, and popular confectioners proudly display favourable news cuttings in their windows.
Besides doughnuts, other traditional products consumed on Fat Thursday include pastry straws (known as chrust or faworki) sprinkled with icing sugar. (nh)