Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Happy Fasnacht Day!

That’s the Pennsylvania Dutch version of Shrove (Fat) Tuesday.  On Fasnacht Day, we eat fasnachts, which are kind of like donuts.

I can't get real fasnachts in DC, so Krispy Kreme will have to do.
I can't get real fasnachts anywhere in DC - I didn't realize how regional they are until I moved here - and because I'm not getting up at 5 in the morning to make fasnachts before work, I bought a dozen glazed donuts from Krispy Kreme, which is a southern chain (if you didn't know).  It doesn't get much further from Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine than Krispy Kreme.

I do find sometimes that I miss the food of my youth; so much of it is regional and can't be found outside central PA.  It never occurred to me that this was all part of my cultural heritage.  Some of it is odd or gross, but it's still part of my heritage.  And I love telling people about Fasnacht Day.  Where I work, there's a significant international population, and the Americans here are very interested in and aware of other cultures as well, but no one seems to know about Fasnacht Day.  So I feel like this is my way of contributing to the multiculturalism at work.

Are there any regional or culturally significant foods from your childhood that you find that you can't get anymore and miss?
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 15, 2013 at 10:08 PM

    I've never heard of Faschnacht Day! Thank you for sharing this, and by the way, I love the redesign of your site.

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  2. Erin SkellyFebruary 17, 2013 at 12:33 AM

    Thanks for the comment on the redesign - I might try some other layouts soon. I'm still searching for the look I'd like to keep.

    I love telling people about Fasnacht Day. It's one of those micro-regional things that few people know about outside of central PA, especially few people who grew up there permanently relocate outside of the area. The majority of people I went to high school with either stayed in the area, or returned there after graduating from college.

    The regional food in central PA is quite prominent; at potlucks and picnics growing up, nearly every single dish was something regional. Growing up, I always thought that I was lacking in cultural heritage, but in truth, it was all around me.

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