Fat Thursday

Fat Thursday is a Christian tradition in some countries marking the last Thursday before Lent and is associated with the celebration of Carnival. Because Lent is a time of fasting, the days leading up to Ash Wednesday provide the last opportunity for feasting (including simply eating forbidden items) until Easter. Traditionally it is a day dedicated to eating, when people meet in their homes or cafés with their friends and relatives and eat large quantities of sweets, cakes and other meals usually not eaten during Lent. Among the most popular all-national dishes served on that day are pączki in Poland or Berliners, fist-sized donuts filled with rose hip jam, and angel wings ( faworki), puff pastry fingers served with powdered sugar.

By country

France

Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) is a time when crepes would be served to use up stores of butter or lard and eggs, similar to the Shrove Tuesday tradition regarding pancakes in England.

Germany

is an unofficial holiday in the Rhineland. At the majority of workplaces, work ends before noon. Celebrations start at 11:11 am in Germany. In comparison with Rosenmontag, there are hardly any parades, but people wear costumes and celebrate in pubs and in the streets. ("women's carnival in Beuel") is traditionally celebrated in the Bonn district of Beuel. The tradition is said to have started here in 1824, when local women first formed their own "carnival committee". The symbolic storming of the Beuel town hall is broadcast live on TV. In many towns across the state of North Rhine Westphalia, a ritual "takeover" of the town halls by local women has become tradition. Among other established customs, on that day women cut off the ties of men, which are seen as a symbol of men's status. The men wear the stumps of their ties and get a (little kiss) as compensation.

Greece

Known as Tsiknopempti in Greece, it is part of the traditional celebrations of (), the Greek Carnival season. The celebration, normally translated as Smelly Thursday, Charred Thursday, or Smoky Thursday, centers on the consumption of large amounts of grilled and roasted meats.

Italy

(Fat Thursday) is celebrated in Italy, but it is not very different from (Shrove Tuesday). In Venice at the turn of the twentieth century, for example, it was marked by "masquerades, a battle of flowers on the Plaza, a general illumination and the opening of the lottery". The English writer Marie Corelli mentioned (as "Giovedi Grasso") in her second novel, '' Vendetta'' (1886), as a day when "the fooling and the mumming, the dancing, shrieking, and screaming would be at its height."

Netherlands

In Cologne, since 1824, the so-called '' Weiberfastnacht'' is known. On the Thursday before carnaval, women wear men's clothes, reversing the roles and thus literally "being the man". In the Dutch border village Groenstraat a precursor to the ''Auwwieverbal'' (Old women ball) or ''Auw Wieverdaag'' (old women day) was known already in the early 19th century. The people at that time earned a living by breeding goats and selling women's hair. The Thursday before carnaval, men would sell the hair to their French buyers. After the sale, as the man had plenty of money, they would go visit the pubs. Out of fear that their men would squander the money raised by their hair, the women would find their husbands to prevent them from wasting it on alcohol. The search along the pubs transformed later to the ''Ouwewijvenbal''. The women, this time incognito, firmly asserted themselves to their husbands and other men.

Poland

In Poland, Fat Thursday is called (which translates to Fat Thursday). People purchase their favorite pastries from their local bakeries. Traditional foods include pączki (doughnuts), which are large deep-fried pieces of yeast dough, traditionally filled with fruit jam or rose petal jam (though others are often used) and topped with powdered sugar, icing or glaze. Angel wings ( or ) are also commonly consumed on this day.

Slovenia

In Slovenia, Fat Thursday is celebrated with specific culinary traditions. People often enjoy special foods that are rich and hearty. A common treat is “krof,” a type of doughnut that is usually filled with jam, particularly apricot, and dusted with powdered sugar. These doughnuts are a staple of the celebration and are enjoyed by many.

Apart from krof, other fatty and rich foods are also consumed, reflecting the tradition’s focus on indulgence and enjoyment before the austerity of Lent. The celebration is not just about food; it’s also a time for social gatherings, family get-togethers, and community events, often accompanied by music and festivities.

Spain

In Spain this celebration is called or and in Catalan-speaking areas, , a children's holiday. In Albacete in Spain community of Castille-La Mancha, or is celebrated with a round pastry with a boiled egg in the middle called . In Aragon a meal is prepared with a special sausage from Graus while in Catalonia the tradition is to eat sweet Bunyols and Botifarra d’ou.

Other traditions

Syrian Catholics have celebrated the day as "Drunkard's Thursday" with dolmas as the traditional food."Catholic Recipe: Dolmas"
''Catholic Culture.org''.

See also

* Mardi Gras
* Maslenitsa (a similar holiday in Russia)
* Shrove Tuesday
* Tsiknopempti

References

External links

Fat Thursday: Poland’s Tastiest Traditions
on Culture.pl

Polish movable feasts
in Polish Wikisource

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Culture of Europe
February observances
German traditions
Greek traditions
The last week before Great Lent
Holidays based on the date of Easter
Slavic carnival
Observances about food and drink
Polish traditions
Thursday observances
Easter traditions in Poland