It’s here: Tuesday we celebrate Mardi Gras, the French name for Fat Tuesday.
Mardi Gras is a festive holiday that marks the end of the pre-Lenten season and the beginning of Lent. Often celebrated with parades, music, costumes and feasting, Mardi Gras – Fat Tuesday is a way to prepare for Lent and Easter fasting.
As you may know, Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter. It’s a time of preparation and reflection before the celebration of Easter. The 40 days of Lent replicate Jesus’ sacrifice and withdraw into the desert for 40 days.
Many Christians believe Lent is a time to “give something up”, and that often means giving up an indulgence – ice cream, chocolate, wine or alcohol, social media or online shopping.
So, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is known as a day to indulge, and we’ll be stocking our cases to help!
For bakers, Madri Gras and Fat Tuesday have long symbolized a period of clearing out and getting rid of the extra sugar, flour, eggs, and butter by making sweet treats. One way is by making Paczki, a traditional Polish treat, similar to a jelly doughnut. Paczkis are made from especially rich dough containing eggs, fat, sugar, yeast and sometimes milk (a lot of those ingredients bakers are trying to clear out!) and are filled with a variety of fruit and creme fillings. They can be glazed or covered in powdered sugar. No matter which type of Paczki you prefer, they are delicious and a traditional treat to enjoy before Lent begins.
I’ve always enjoyed the story behind the Fat Tuesday treats, the clearing out the pantry, making way for simpler, less-sugary treats for a bit. It almost serves as a reset for the bakery, too, just as Christians take a pause to reset and prepare for Jesus’ resurrection.
You’ll find plenty of paczkis here at Ashley’s. Our Mardi Gras flavors will include strawberry, blueberry, Oreo, peanut butter, custard, raspberry, lemon, cannoli cream and chocolate fudge.
We’ll also have King Cakes in raspberry, blueberry, cream cheese and cinnamon.
And then starting on Wednesday you’ll notice Hot Cross Buns in the cases for the Lenten season.
We will still continue to sell our usual fare, but you’ll also notice on Wednesday the Hot Cross Buns in our cases. These buns serve as a reminder to slow down a minute in this busy world and prepare our homes, our families, and ourselves for the season ahead.
Have you thought about giving something up for Lent?
Or have you decided to do something extra for the next 40 days? Maybe this is volunteering more often, getting up earlier each morning, or making a donation to a local charity or organization.