Fat Thursday is a Polish tradition celebrated in the last week of Carnival. It is the final Thursday before Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday. This year Polish people celebrate Fat Thursday 52 days before Easter, and on February 12th we eat lots of unhealthy, fat and high-calorie foods such as doughnuts or angel wings. 

The origins of Fat Thursday come from pagan culture. It was a day when people celebrated the end of winter and the start of spring. People celebrated this day by eating fatty foods, especially meat, and by drinking wine. Many years ago Polish doughnuts were a little different from the ones which we know today. They were made from bread dough and stuffed with bacon. In the past sweet treats were not very popular – people used to eat fatty and filling dishes. 

The popularity of traditional doughnuts with marmalade filling started in the 18th century and continues to this day. According to Polish tradition some doughnuts were sometimes filled with nuts and the person who found them could expect good luck. Today we’re not talking about this superstition a lot, but many people want to eat at least one doughnut  to avoid bad luck.  

A traditional doughnut has around 200-400 calories and is usually deep – fried. Despite having that many calories people still enjoy this dessert mainly to share it with friends and family.  

We can also find traditions similar to those in Polish culture  in many different countries such as Spain, where people eat churros, or Great Britain where people go for a pancake. Although the foods are different in many countries, the tradition of eating rich sweets before the fasting period of Lent remains the same. 

In the end Fat Thursday is an important part of Polish tradition because it is deeply connected to our culture and religion. This celebration shows  the importance of our rituals and how traditions change over time.  

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🍩 2025/2026 ©  Aleksandra Wincza, 2 rok, Pedagogika,  Akademia Nauk Stosowanych w Koninie