Fat Thursday: What is Tłusty Czwartek, when is it and how is the Polish tradition celebrated?

In Poland, Fat Thursday is called Tłusty Czwartek which loosely translates to ‘Greasy Thursday’ and it is a tradition that dates back to the 16th century.

It is mainly observed by Christians in some countries marking the last Thursday before Lent and is associated with the celebration of Carnival.

With Lent being a period of fasting, the days running up to Ash Wednesday offer the last opportunity for feasting, including simply eating forbidden food, until Easter.

It is a tradition spent indulging in food, when people meet in their homes or cafes with their friends and relatives and eat large amounts of sweets, cakes and meals that are forbidden during Lent.

Some of the most popular national dishes served on the day are Pączki in Poland, which is a deep-fried dough shaped into a flattened ball and filled with confiture or other sweet filling or Berliners, fist-sized donuts with rose hip jam.

In Poland, people buy their favourite pastries from their local bakeries; traditional foods include pączki or Angel wings

Fat Thursday is normally five days before Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras, six days before Ash Wednesday and 52 days before Easter.

This year Fat Thursday is on February 8.