Fat Thursday in Poland | The National Polish Pączek Day

Finally, it’s that day of the year where thousands of bakeries around Poland will be working intensively to satisfy the desire of millions of Poles that are willing to continue with this amazing Polish tradition.

The tradition I’m talking about is one of my favourites since I moved to Poland mainly because you just keep eating and eating – This tradition is called Fat Thursday.

When Is Celebrated Fat Thursday?

Fat Thursday is celebrated once a year, on the last Thursday prior to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. This year, 2022, it will be celebrated on the 24th of February.

Why do Polish people celebrate Fat Thursday?

Fat Thursday (Tłusty Czwartek in Polish) is a religious tradition, and a very delicious one, which is celebrated by millions of Poles by going to their favourites bakeries.

What do Poles do During the Fat Thursday?

The answer to this question is relatively easy, Poles have a really interesting way to celebrate this day. They spend it eating sweets and cakes, but most of the time they eat a traditional Polish doughnut that is called ‘Pączek‘ (plural: Pączki).

What is a Pączek?

Pączek is a large fried doughnut filled with marmalades and glazed with sugar, and depending on the bakery you go to, it might be topped with candied orange peel.

The amount of Pączki that are eaten on this day is incredibly high! It is believed that on average, each person eats at least 3 Pączki! So more or less 100 million of these doughnuts are eaten in just 1 single day! Yes, more than 100 million!!!

If you are interested in knowing the history of Pączki you can see my post about it: The History of Pączki – One of the Most Iconic Polish Desserts.

If you just came to Poland and you don’t know where to buy those doughnuts… don’t worry, there will be Pączki in all the places! Literally, you would be able to buy them anywhere in Poland.

You Can Also Try Angel Wings

During this day, it’s also common for Poles to eat a great dessert that is called Faworki (also known as Chrusty), which are thin dough ribbons, fried until crispy and sprinkled with powdered sugar. They are delicious!

Why Do You Need to Eat at Least One Pączek?

Many of you might be thinking: “You know David, I’m on a diet and I can’t eat any Pączek on this day, I want a super hot summer body”.

Well, let me tell you, my friend, that in Poland it is believed that if you don’t eat at least one Pączek on this day you will have bad luck for the rest of the year. So you better eat at least one, I guarantee you that it is worth it. Those Pączki are super delicious and addictive.

In some bakeries in Warsaw, people will wait for hours just to buy those doughnuts! Crazy, isn’t it?

Video of How to Make Pączki

If you want to know how those Pączki are made just check this video we prepared in collaboration with Pracownia Cukiernicza “Zagoździński”​

Now You Feel Hungry, Don’t you?

This is not a surprise, Pączek is a delicious dessert :) But watch out, if you eat more than 5 you might gain some extra kilos in your body :P