News

Mount Prospect’s paczki palooza

Posted March 07, 2011 11:00 pm

Daily Herald report

The Central Continental Bakery in Mount Prospect sold more than 60,000 paczki pastries on Tuesday in honor of Fat Tuesday.

In Poland, the paczki are eaten especially on Fat Thursday, which falls on the last Thursday before Lent. But for many Polish Americans, Fat Tuesday — the day before Ash Wednesday officially kicks off Lent — is Paczki Day.

Traditionally, the reason for making paczki was to use up all the lard, sugar, eggs and fruit in the house — ingredients forbidden to be consumed due to Catholic fasting practices during Lent.

Central Continental bakers work for 24 hours straight to get the all the orders out on Tuesday, said Katie Czerniak, whose mother owns the bakery at 101 S. Main St.

“Everyone is exhausted,” Czerniak said Tuesday night.

courtesy of Central Continental BakeryCentral Continental employee Jim Thompson stood outside the bakery for hours Tuesday dressed as a paczki waving to passing cars.

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