We Pennsylvania Germans have some interesting traditionns.  Fastnacht Day is one of them.  It occurs the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. In England it's called Shrove Tuesday and in French it's called Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday").  In many parts of the world the period before Lent is a time for partying before a period of fasting and self-reflection.  The Germans celebrate Fasching, Fasnacht or Karneval and the French have Mardi Gras.  The translation of "Fastnacht" is "Eve of the Fast."  The Pennsylvania. Dutch celebrate only a single day--Fastnacht Day.  The main tradition is the eating of fastnachts, which are unleavened, deep-fried doughnuts, originated in Germany hundreds of years
ago, with the superstition that this would prevent boils in the coming year.  It serves as a way of using up the last of
the lard before beginning a fast from sweets.  In the morning on Fastnacht Day, everyone in a good PA German family eats fastnachts.

So, make sure that you eat some fastnachts this year.

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