Yesterday was "Fat Tuesday" or "Paczki Day" and while I understand what Fat Tuesday is - the last chance to gorge yourself on forbidden delights in the form of a huge, stuffed donut-like pastries before you have to give up all your culinary sins when Lent begins on Ash Wednesday - I don't get what's so great about Paczkis. They're enormous, heavy, greasy balls filled with various flavors of fruit jelly (there are even prune ones!) or Bavarian custard. "What's not to love?" you may say, but before you take another bite, think about this - what does Fat Tuesday mean to you?
Fat Tuesday actually began as Fat Thursday to mark the beginning of the last week before Lent. Paczki (pronounced "ponchki", not "poonchki" like it's so often called) were discovered as a way to use up all of the lard, sugar and eggs that would be forbidden during Lent. So, shouldn't only those who participate in Lent celebrate Fat Tuesday? If you don't practice Lenten behavior yet still eat your share of paczki the day before Ash Wednesday, it's kind of like celebrating Christmas Eve but refusing to celebrate Christmas. What's the point? I mean, rather than waiting in the two-hour bakery line in Hamtramck for a dozen paczki, you could designate a random day, say January 14, as your own personal paczki day. Or do they taste better on Fat Tuesday? Is it the camaraderie of eating them together? Is it the forbidden aura around every nibble that gets your heart rate up on that particular day?
In your defense, I do realize this is all easy for me to say because paczki have the distinct honor of being the only sweet on the planet that I have no trouble resisting and I do not participate in Lent (well, there was that one time I gave up ice cream and chocolate just to see if I could do it). I think we should abandon the tradition altogether and instead live a life of moderation and simplicity. If there's something you love that's not so great for you, do it in moderation. If there's something that you can give up for 40 days, give it up all together and live simply rather than conforming to a tradition of gorging, denying, and then gorging again.
Just a thought...
And one more note:
If you're Polish and having paczki means much more to you than just a jelly donut, if it is a way to celebrate your heritage, then by all means you should go to Hamtramck for the parade, festival and a performance by the Polish Mulsims.
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2 comments:
For me "Fat Tuesday" this year was a celebration because I'm really trying to improve my health and I didn't eat a paczki. Small victories - but sometimes you take them where you can get them! Great post Mel!
OMG! You are friggin hilarious!!!! That's it, I am not allowed to check this anymore while I am at work and others are in the room! (dangerous, cuz you're not supposed to have this much fun at work....) Excellent point at the end there - moderation vs. give it up all together and live simply. I've heard of some people who, rather than giving UP something, take on something -- like a characteristic trait. Such as, making a conscious effort to do something random and nice for someone each day (or it may be as simple as trying not to flip anyone off or curse while driving). I like the idea of celebrating lent that way. Make it positive rather than punishing (oh, those darn catholics and their guilt issues....)
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