Fat Thursday
Fat Thursday is a Christian tradition in some countries marking the last Thursday before Lent and is associated with the celebration of Carnival. Because Lent is a time of fasting, the days leading up to Ash Wednesday provide the last opportunity for feasting until Easter. Traditionally it is a day dedicated to eating, when people meet in their homes or cafés with their friends and relatives and eat large quantities of sweets, cakes and other meals usually not eaten during Lent. Among the most popular all-national dishes served on that day are pączki in Poland or Berliners, fist-sized donuts filled with rose hip jam, and angel wings, puff pastry fingers served with powdered sugar.
By country
France
Mardi Gras is a time when crepes would be served to use up stores of butter or lard and eggs, similar to the Shrove Tuesday tradition regarding pancakes in England.Germany
Weiberfastnacht is an unofficial holiday in the Rhineland. At the majority of workplaces, work ends before noon. Celebrations start at 11:11 am in Germany. In comparison with Rosenmontag, there are hardly any parades, but people wear costumes and celebrate in pubs and in the streets. Beueler Weiberfastnacht is traditionally celebrated in the Bonn district of Beuel. The tradition is said to have started here in 1824, when local women first formed their own "carnival committee". The symbolic storming of the Beuel town hall is broadcast live on TV. In many towns across the state of North Rhine Westphalia, a ritual "takeover" of the town halls by local women has become tradition. Among other established customs, on that day women cut off the ties of men, which are seen as a symbol of men's status. The men wear the stumps of their ties and get a Bützchen as compensation.Greece
Known as Tsiknopempti in Greece, it is part of the traditional celebrations of, the Greek Carnival season. The celebration, normally translated as Smelly Thursday, Charred Thursday, or Smoky Thursday, centers on the consumption of large amounts of grilled and roasted meats.Italy
Giovedì grasso is celebrated in Italy, but it is not very different from martedì grasso. In Venice at the turn of the twentieth century, for example, it was marked by "masquerades, a battle of flowers on the Plaza, a general illumination and the opening of the lottery". The English writer Marie Corelli mentioned giovedì grasso in her second novel, Vendetta, as a day when "the fooling and the mumming, the dancing, shrieking, and screaming would be at its height."Netherlands
In Cologne, since 1824, the so-called Weiberfastnacht is known. On the Thursday before carnaval, women wear men's clothes, reversing the roles and thus literally "being the man". In the Dutch border village Groenstraat a precursor to the Auwwieverbal or Auw Wieverdaag was known already in the early 19th century. The people at that time earned a living by breeding goats and selling women's hair. The Thursday before carnaval, men would sell the hair to their French buyers. After the sale, as the man had plenty of money, they would go visit the pubs. Out of fear that their men would squander the money raised by their hair, the women would find their husbands to prevent them from wasting it on alcohol. The search along the pubs transformed later to the Ouwewijvenbal. The women, this time incognito, firmly asserted themselves to their husbands and other men.Poland
In Poland, Fat Thursday is called tłusty czwartek. People purchase their favorite pastries from their local bakeries. Traditional foods include pączki, which are large deep-fried pieces of yeast dough, traditionally filled with fruit jam or rose petal jam and topped with powdered sugar, icing or glaze. Angel wings are also commonly consumed on this day.Slovenia
In Slovenia, Fat Thursday is celebrated with specific culinary traditions. People often enjoy special foods that are rich and hearty. A common treat is “krof,” a type of doughnut that is usually filled with jam, particularly apricot, and dusted with powdered sugar. These doughnuts are a staple of the celebration and are enjoyed by many.Apart from krof, other fatty and rich foods are also consumed, reflecting the tradition’s focus on indulgence and enjoyment before the austerity of Lent. The celebration is not just about food; it’s also a time for social gatherings, family get-togethers, and community events, often accompanied by music and festivities.