You may have heard of Mardi Gras, but have you heard of Paczki Day?
Mardi Gras, the French saying for “Fat Tuesday,” is a day full of feasting ahead of Lent --- a six-week period of fasting and prayer in Christianity that commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert.
Paczki Day is celebrated on the same day as Mardi Gras, the Tuesday before Lent, which gives Polish communities the opportunity to join in on the U.S. celebrations. Historically, Paczki Day has allowed Polish communities to use up all of their food, so it would not be wasted during the fasting period. This tradition actually began back in the medieval age.
On Paczki Day, some people of Polish descent will use their eggs, butter, sugar and fruit to make the traditional dessert paczki. If you're not familiar - paczki are fruit or cream-filled deep-fried donuts with powdered sugar or icing on top.
This year, Paczki Day will be celebrated on Feb. 13.
Here are five bakeries in the Chicago area you can visit to buy paczki:
Deerfield's Bakery
Deerfield's Bakery offers over 20 options of paczki for you to choose from, with varieties ranging from raspberry to chocolate mousse to banana cream.
Prices range from $2 to $5 per paczki.
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The bakery has two locations, one in Buffalo Grove and one in Deerfield.
Both locations are open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.
Delightful Pastries - Portage Park
Delightful Pastries offers several paczki options from passion fruit jelly to vodka and vanilla bean custard to plum butter.
Prices range from $3 to $6 per paczki.
The bakery is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Fridays and 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
Big Kids Chicago - Logan Square
The Logan Square sandwich joint Big Kids Chicago is hosting a paczki party at 5 p.m. on Feb. 13. Attendees can purchase local bakers’ paczkis.
Some included flavors in the pack are truffle honey cream, guava and milk chocolate.
Paczki packs cost $20.
Big Kids Chicago is open 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Roeser’s Bakery
Roeser’s Bakery offers 17 flavor options for Paczki Day. The bakery will be open at 6 a.m. on Paczki Day, but the owners suggest pre-ordering to ensure customers get the flavor they want.
Roeser’s Bakery is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays to Sundays.
Stan’s Donuts & Coffee
The popular Chicago-area chain Stan’s Donuts & Coffee will offer six flavors at all locations on Paczki Day. The bakery offers raspberry, chocolate cream, strawberries and dairy-free cream and three more options.
The bakery is open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and select locations are open until 8 p.m.
Want to learn about more local bakeries that offer paczki on Paczki Day?
See NBC Chicago’s coverage of Chicago-area bakeries that fulfilled paczki orders last year.
