When large numbers of Polish immigrants came to Michigan in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century paczkis came with them. In Polish tradition, cooks used up much of their fat and sweets on “Fat Tuesday,” the day before the beginning of the Christian season of Lent, during which the faithful are asked to engage in forty days of fasting and self-denial. In Michigan, Pączki Day expanded beyond the Polish community as people heard about the tradition and, more importantly, ate the treat. Today, paczki can be found up to a month before Fat Tuesday in stores and bakeries throughout the state.
