Paczki Day

Paczki Day 

Who doesn’t like having an extra excuse to eat a “donut”? Paczkis are Polish jelly filled donuts. This day is celebrated on Fat Tuesday, the last Tuesday before Lent. Like many things in Poland, Paczkis have roots in Catholicism.

Food Waste

Paczkis were created as a way to use up all the available sugar, eggs, butter, etc. before giving up all the yummy things for 40 days during Lent. Paczkis are Polish jelly filled donuts. Paczkis used to be savory, filled with pork fat and fried in lard.

Unity of Classes

During the Middle Ages' pre-Lenten celebrations, while the upper classes dined on roast game and other delicacies, people in the lower classes ate cabbage and jellied pigs' knuckles. Paczki, however, were the common ground between both social classes.

Savory vs Sweet

Paczkis use to be savory, filled with pork fat and fried in lard. Polish King August III revolutionized the Paczki when he brought in his chefs that were French and they were amazing at making desserts, and so the sweet Paczki was born.

A Reason to Party

In Midwestern cities like Detroit, Cleveland, Green Bay, and Chicago, with communities that are mainly Polish, Paczki Day is widely celebrated. During the holiday, local bakeries sell tens of thousands of fresh pastries in the morning, with people lining up around the block to get them. There are also parades, eating contests, and drinking.

Places to Find Paczki

Chicago
Detroit

For Sport

The paczki-eating record stands at 23 pastries in 15mins, held by a Matt Holowichi of Plymouth, Michigan.

Films

In 2004, Army Armstrong Films released Paczki: The Movie!, a documentary about paczki making in Lorain County, Ohio.

Now that you have the meat and potatoes of Paczki, you better be spending the day eating endless Paczki.