Fattening Up for Lent
While Poland's reputation as an extremely devout Roman Catholic nation may be declining, the entire population continues to stick with several traditions based in Christianity - perhaps the most fun of these is Fat Thursday, this year taking place on 11 February.
As the last Thursday before Lent (which starts on Ash Wednesday - 17 February), Fat Thursday is similar to the perhaps more famous Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday. Celebrated in different ways across the world, both days have a similar goal - overindulgence!
In Poland, Fat Thursday means one thing - eating paczki. The paczek is essentially a donut, covered in powdered or glazed sugar and filled with rose petal jam, plum jam, or even chocolate. Every year 100 million paczki are consumed in Poland on Fat Thursday, coming down to a startling 2.5 donuts per person!
Once Lent has begun, travellers to Poland can rest assured that all clubs and bars continue to operate as usual. However, if you plan on visiting Poland during Easter weekend, don't bother looking for a raucous party! Most major cities, including Wroclaw, will empty out as Poles go home to celebrate Easter with their family. The majority of restaurants bars, and shops will be closed on Sunday and Monday. However, a visit during Easter is also the perfect time to experience traditional Polish life - even if not spiritually-inclined, a joyous Easter Sunday church service can be more insightful into Polish culture than any museum.
Read more about Fat Thursday at the Krakow Post.