Fat Thursday
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Fat Thursday (Polish Tłusty czwartek, German Fetter Donnerstag or Schmutziger Donnerstag) is a traditional Polish and German feast marking the last Thursday before Lent. Because Lent is a time of fasting, the next opportunity to feast would not be until Easter. It is similar to, but should not be confused with, the French festival of Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday"). Traditionally it is a day of gluttony and belly-worship, when people meet in their homes or cafés with their friends and relatives and eat large quantities of sweets, cakes and other meals forbidden during Lent. Among the most popular all-national dishes served on that day are pączki or berliner, fist-sized donuts filled with rose marmalade, and faworki, French dough fingers served with lots of powdered sugar.
In Italy, Giovedì Grasso (Fat Thursday) is celebrated, too, but is not very different from Martedì Grasso (Fat Tuesday). It is also similar to the Greek custom of Tsiknopempti (loosely translatable as "Barbecue Thursday"), which involves the massive consumption of barbecued meat.
[edit] Fat Thursday by year
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2006 | February 23 |
| 2007 | February 15 |
| 2008 | January 31 |
| 2009 | February 19 |
| 2010 | February 11 |
| 2011 | March 3 |
| 2012 | February 16 |
| 2013 | February 7 |
| 2014 | February 27 |
| 2015 | February 12 |
| 2016 | February 4 |
[edit] See also
- Carnival
- Culture of Poland
- Polish cuisine
- Maslenitsa (a similar holiday in Russia)
