Tuesday, Feb. 17, was Fat Tuesday, or, as it is more colloquially known, Fastnacht Day.

What is Fastnacht Day? Faschnacht Day is a holiday originally celebrated in the southern regions of Germany on the Tuesday before Lent. On Fastnacht Day, fastnachts, which are fried doughnuts, are served. This was a way to empty the pantry of lard, sugar and butter, which are traditionally fasted from during Lent.

The concept of fasting is actually what gives the whole holiday its name: “Fast” is a shortened version of the German verb, fasten, which means “to fast.” “Nacht” is simply the German word for “night.” The tradition came to America through the German immigrants, who settled in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Dutch communities in Lancaster continue to celebrate to this day.

In addition to places like Lancaster, Fastnacht Day is also celebrated in places like Newville. Saylor’s Market, on Carlisle Road, has such a huge turnout that it has to start frying early. According to Carol Long, the bakery manager, workers start at midnight on Monday and fry until 3 or 4 p.m. Tuesday. Some years Saylor’s has been so busy that it cannot even keep its front bakery tables stocked. This year the business has been curtailed a bit by the weather, but Long fully expects that the store will have customers all evening as people get off work.

Even places like Giant get in on the fastnacht festivities. According to Jessica Fabian, the bakery manager, Giant sold 85 dozen fastnachts on Sunday and Monday combined. She said that the business on Fastnacht Day itself was slowed down by the weather, but that the store has sold upward of 300 dozen fastnachts on Tuesdays past.

The student organizations participate as well, specifically organizations like the French Club, which holds a Mardi Gras ball every year or the German Club, which makes fastnachts.

This year was the French Club’s fourth annual Mardi Gras ball. While the ball started out as a way to promote cultural understanding, its purpose has since expanded. Many students with the French Club do service learning projects in Haiti, and the Mardi Gras ball became a way to fundraise for that. This year the ball raised $221.

As part of the ball, students partake in traditional foods like beignets and kingcake. Beignets are a pastry made of deep-fried dough and usually served as a breakfast item in places like New Orleans, while kingcake is more Danish-like and braided with cinnamon inside. Students are also encouraged to dress up in costumes and prizes are awarded for best costume. Jose Ricardo-Osorio, associate professor of modern languages, also teaches Zouk, a traditional Caribbean dance, and the best male and female dancers were crowned king and queen of the ball.

In addition to the French Club’s festivities, the German Club makes fastnachts every year, harkening back to the Lenten tradition which started in the southern region of Germany.

Even though it is not as large a holiday as Easter or Christmas, Fastnacht Day and its traditions are alive and well both at Shippensburg University and in the surrounding community.

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