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Originally posted by Jennifer_4

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Originally posted by RubyRose

Fastnacht (first night of the fast) Day has arrived in PA Dutch country today, as it does every year on the day before Ash Wednesday. It’s an old custom from the part of Germany the PA Dutch immigrated from and is still celebrated in the area where I live.

[:)]

Thanks, Ruby Rose, I’d never heard of this before and always enjoy learning something new.. man, those sound good, wish I was there!

Me, too. I l-o-v-e RF info on these micro-regions where certain foods (or customs) are specific to a small local area. Here, PADutch traditions seem very local, very specific, as RubyRose and Robearjr mention are just in some subgroups (Moravians, Schwenkfelders – which I have actually hear of) or specific counties in PA/MD,.

I’d love to hear about more foods like this…

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Originally posted by Robearjr

The Weiss supermarket in Carroll County, Maryland had all of these signs in the bakery about fastnachts.

I think Weiss is a PA grocery store, so that might explain it. And Carroll County is due south of Gettysburg and Hanover, so maybe fastnacht is a tradition in parts of Maryland of well.

Weis Markets are from Sunbury, PA – I’d consider them a regional chain, but they have tried to think "local" in their marketing with local products.

The Weiss supermarket in Carroll County, Maryland had all of these signs in the bakery about fastnachts.

I think Weiss is a PA grocery store, so that might explain it. And Carroll County is due south of Gettysburg and Hanover, so maybe fastnacht is a tradition in parts of Maryland of well.

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Originally posted by RubyRose

Fastnacht (first night of the fast) Day has arrived in PA Dutch country today, as it does every year on the day before Ash Wednesday. It’s an old custom from the part of Germany the PA Dutch immigrated from and is still celebrated in the area where I live.

A fastnacht is a puffy square doughnut with a diagonal slit from one corner to the center. The dough has mashed potatoes in it (although you can’t taste it in the doughnuts), no type of filling or frosting other than powdered sugar and is traditionally fried in lard, although some places now use oil.

Eating them is supposed to give you luck for the springtime and also give you strength to resist temptations during Lent. Even those who are dieting will have a bite for luck in this equivalent of Fat Tuesday in other parts of the country.

It’s the biggest fund raiser of the year for some churches and volunteer fire companies, who will literally be up all night frying hundreds of dozens of fastnachts. Even the grocery stores will have a type of "drive through" arrangement where you can pull up to the curb and buy them.

There’s a lot of folklore connected with the day too, like the last person out of bed that morning only gets to eat one doughnut or can eat only misshapen ones. He or she is called an Ashapoodle in some regions. The lard from frying the fastnachts used to be used grease all the garden spades and tools to assure a good vegetable garden.

So if you happen to have a doughnut for breakfast this morning, you can pretend it’s a fastnacht and join in the festivities. [:)]

Thanks, Ruby Rose, I’d never heard of this before and always enjoy learning something new.. man, those sound good, wish I was there!

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Originally posted by Robearjr

I grew up about an hour away from Lancaster, and I never heard of fastnacht until earlier today. I was in a grocery store, oddly one that is about two hours away from Lancaster, and they were selling fastnachts.

Now, I’m not sure if these things were just donuts, or if they were filled with potatoes. They looked like big chinese donuts.

You probably won’t find them in a regular grocery, but if you check in the farmer market bakeries or family-run bakeries you should find them – but you may have to wait until next year now.
BTW – they are not filled w/ potatoes – the dough used is made from potatoes just like gnocchi.

I grew up about an hour away from Lancaster, and I never heard of fastnacht until earlier today. I was in a grocery store, oddly one that is about two hours away from Lancaster, and they were selling fastnachts.

Now, I’m not sure if these things were just donuts, or if they were filled with potatoes. They looked like big chinese donuts.

Wow, this is interesting. I’m part PADutch but I never heard of it. Is it related to Fasching?

Ashapoodle? Sounds like fighting words to me.
You can call me anything, BUT don’t call me late for dinner.
Chow Jim

I grew up with fastnachts and I really miss them each year. In Lancaster, we had two kinds, ones with powdered sugar and others which were plain. The powdered ones were eaten like donuts, while the plain ones were halved with Karo Syrup placed inside.

I bought my fastnachts last night on the way into work. It sure was good[:D]