Don't know about the rest of the country, but Paczki Day is an annual thing here in Chicago. It's a huge deal at bakeries throughout the city, especially the Polish ones. People order them in advance and then end up standing in line on Tuesday to pick them up. They've started extending the "holiday", starting almost a week before Fat Tuesday.

Where to buy paczkis. Be sure to click on some of the links so you can see their deliciousness.

https://patch.com/illinois/arl...ar-arlington-heights

We're overdosing today because two different neighbors brought us fresh paczkis. Right after dinner I got a text from my friend Sue, who lives behind us. "MAF?"...our text shorthand for "Meet at fence". She handed me two raspberry paczkis that she bought at the Catholic church where they attend Saturday Mass.

And just a few minutes ago, the doorbell rang and it was our neighbor Joe. His family is Polish and the weekend before Fat Tuesday is paczki-making time for his family. He came straight from his Mom's, and the paczkis were still warm. Strawberry.

I think I need a time out from sweets, but gosh these were really good. I'd post a pic but....they're gone....

Any Fat Tuesday traditions where you hail from?

I had a hankering for king cake (first experienced in NOLA, and loved it), so I ordered one from a local bakery. The bakery is Dos Hermanos, so there’s a Mexican flair to this cake; it’s filled with dulce de leche. I’m bringing it to a Super Bowl party this afternoon.

King Cake on Instagram

This weekend is also Lunar New Year, so I’ve had a lot of extra goodies!

Paczkis are a thing here, too!

I don't think I've heard of either paczkis or king cake. The paczkis sure do look yummy though!

King cake is a thing where I'm from.

They can be pretty sweet, so I'm usually good with one slice a year, but I do like the pecan ones.

I am of Polish descent on both sides of the family, but somehow never heard of paczki. They look like a filled donut, something that doesn’t appeal to me.

Now, there’s something they make around Easter, a crispy fried dough covered in powdered sugar. That I might be interested in.