Fastnacht Day 2024 was on Tuesday, February 13th. This food holiday is also known as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday, which is why the delicious treats are often referred to as “Mardi Gras donuts”. Fasnacht Day is the last day before Lent, the 40-day season before Easter begins on Ash Wednesday. The term “fastnacht” (also spelled fasnacht, faschnaut, faschnacht ) comes from the German words “fast,” a shortened form of the verb “fasten” meaning “to fast,” and “nacht,” which means “night.” Tradition holds that on this day, households use up all the fat and sugar in the house before Lent began. This practice also gives Fat Tuesday its name. This year, Columbia Cottage enjoyed a variety of fastnachts from our local neighbors at Plum Creek Farm!