Fasnacht Day!

  

or Pancake Day... or Shrove Tuesday... Or Mardi Gras...

Today, February 12th of 2013 is Shrove Tuesday, the day when we use up the last of the rich expensive foods in our house to get ready for the season of Lent.  In the old days meat, milk or cream, eggs, and yeast were considered foods for the wealthiest people,  Since the season of Lent involved fasting and doing without, the Tuesday before the forty days of Lent meant using up all those good things in a huge feast.

The Pennsylvania Dutch celebrated with Fasnachts, a type of yeast doughnut deep fried in lard that the Pennsylvania Dutch would often eat smothered in Kings (cane) syrup. 

If you go to Panera's or some other bread places in the area you will find Hot Cross Buns, yeast buns studded with candied fruit and marked with the cross on the top in icing.  This is a traditional English treat for Shrove Tuesday.

Other areas of the country celebrate using the customs of their country.  In New Orleans and French settled places in the United States they call it Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday.  New Orleans used to have a huge parade where they dressed up a bull as the highlight of the parade.

Shrove Tuesday is also celebrated as Carnival in Brazil, Italy and Spain, a time of excitement and wild times with masks, costumes, and good food.

Areas settled by Scandinavians celebrate by eating pancakes with butter, sugar, jam, and whipped cream.