February 20

TGIF- It's Mardi gras weekend. The last chance to party before Ash Wednesday and 40 days of Lenten repenting. Some people party like it's the end of the world. Some merely smile and celebrate family and ethnic traditions- one of our family traditions is Pacza- pronounced poonchki. A Lenten donut filled with various fillings. The idea was to eat up all the "treats and happy" foods so they don't rot-or tempt you during the solemn days of Lent.

No, poonchki for me this year as I am on a gluten-free diet. Sadness. But I do have gluten free pancake mix in the house. So, there will be pancakes on Fat Tuesday, another tradition. Where I went to college they used to hang pancakes in the trees for the birds on Fat Tuesday.

Other Lenten traditions include-meat-free Fridays, of course and dishes like Noleshicki (Yeah, I have no idea how to spell it so I sounded it out.) It's a crepe like pancake with cheese filling. Easy and simple for those Friday nights.

Then on Holy Thursday my mother always makes hot cross buns- a simple fruit bun with white icing in the form of a cross on the top. I couldn't wait for those-I loved the icing best-our first taste of sugar in 40 days as we usual gave up sweets for Lent. Those little buns meant that all the hardship and sacrifice of Lent would soon be over, opening the world to Easter and spring.

What, if any, are your family traditions?