LANCASTER – Today across the world, those who observe Lent are embracing the final day before the fasting begins, and that means that in our region, today is the annually-anticipated Fasnacht Day. Fasnachts are similar, but not quite the same as a donut, consisting of fried dough and/or potato, stuffed with a cream filling and coated in powdered sugar in most cases. Several churches and bakeries are cranking out the seasonal delicacies, which are of German origin and are rooted today in the Pennsylvania Dutch culture. Fasnacht translates to “fast night” in German, as a celebration of the final night before the fasting season, known as Lent, is observed leading up to Easter.
