Down in Katrina Kountry people are celebrating "Fat Tuesday", in Rio it's Carnivale, but up here in Dutch Country it's "Fastnacht" [or "Donut Day" for the English among you]. As I write I'm sitting in a booth at Dunkin' Donuts munching on one of their golden goodies, sipping coffee, and watching the long line at the counter inch forward incrementally. The woman who waited on me said this was their busiest day of the year. I believe it! People are not just buying a donut or two -- they're buying a dozen or two at a time to take home or to work in celebration of Fastnacht.
Not for us those fancy costumes, parades, or drunken orgies. We Pennsylvania Dutch are content to just sit quietly, consume the calories, and watch the pounds accumulate around our midsections.
