Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 9 hours ago
LANSING, Ill. — For many Lansing residents, Fat Tuesday is Paczki Day and means a trip to Calumet Bakery on Torrence Avenue.
The Lansing Journal Reporter Nuha Abdessalam stopped by Tuesday morning as the bakery welcomed customers on one of its busiest days of the year.
00:00 - Introduction
00:22 - Sue Rush sticks with classic Paczki choices
00:35 - A look inside the bakery's Paczki Day operations
00:45 - Linda and Earnie Tellez talk about the kind of Paczki they bought
01:07 - Is a Paczki a doughnut?
01:27 - There are lots of Paczki options
01:50 - The meaning behind Paczki Day
Fast Facts About Paczki:
— The word Paczki (pronounced POHNCH-kee) is plural. Paczek (POHNCH-eck) is the singular. If you order a dozen Paczki, you might find it difficult to limit yourself to just one Paczek.
— Paczki is a Polish word, a diminutive form of the Polish word for “bud,” which is related to a Slavic word that refers to anything round or bulging to the point of bursting.
— Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent, which is a time of fasting in many religions. Fat Tuesday was an opportunity to indulge before fasting begins, and paczki were created to use up “forbidden” ingredients such as lard, eggs, fruit, and sugar. For that reasons, paczki are typically richer than donuts, using yeast instead of baking powder, for example.
— Prune or stewed plum filling is one of the traditional paczki flavors, but other fruit fillings are popular as well. Strawberry, blueberry, and apple are among the most common.
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Make sure you receive all the local news The Lansing Journal publishes, not just the videos! Subscribe to The Lansing Journal's Daily News email: thelansingjournal.org/subscribe-from-youtube
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The questionable politics of Thornton Township Supervisors Tiffany Henyard and now Napoleon Harris brought new viewers and subscribers to our channel, and we appreciate their interest in our local politics. But most of the news that happens in Lansing and other parts of Thornton Township is much less dramatic but just as important. The Lansing Journal serves a diverse community and offers a diverse range of news — stories that are often overlooked by larger media. If you are interested in what local news looks like, subscribe to The Lansing Journal:
• Our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@lansingjournal?sub_confirmation=1
• Our Daily News email: thelansingjournal.org/subscribe-from-youtube
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit newsroom, and we depend on support from our viewers and readers in order to provide the journalism our community deserves. Visit the Donate page on our website to make a tax-deductible donation: thelansingjournal.org/donate
Every dollar goes directly into the journalism and helps support this local newspaper as we serve our community.
MISSION
The Lansing Journal is the only newspaper in Lansing, Illinois. Our mission is Building Community, and we fulfill that mission by keeping our diverse community informed and connected through local independent news that is freely accessible.
Subscribe to our channel: youtube.com/@lansingjournal?sub_confirmation=1
LANSING, Ill. — For many Lansing residents, Fat Tuesday is Paczki Day and means a trip to Calumet Bakery on Torrence Avenue.
The Lansing Journal Reporter Nuha Abdessalam stopped by Tuesday morning as the bakery welcomed customers on one of its busiest days of the year.
00:00 - Introduction
00:22 - Sue Rush sticks with classic Paczki choices
00:35 - A look inside the bakery's Paczki Day operations
00:45 - Linda and Earnie Tellez talk about the kind of Paczki they bought
01:07 - Is a Paczki a doughnut?
01:27 - There are lots of Paczki options
01:50 - The meaning behind Paczki Day
Fast Facts About Paczki:
— The word Paczki (pronounced POHNCH-kee) is plural. Paczek (POHNCH-eck) is the singular. If you order a dozen Paczki, you might find it difficult to limit yourself to just one Paczek.
— Paczki is a Polish word, a diminutive form of the Polish word for “bud,” which is related to a Slavic word that refers to anything round or bulging to the point of bursting.
— Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent, which is a time of fasting in many religions. Fat Tuesday was an opportunity to indulge before fasting begins, and paczki were created to use up “forbidden” ingredients such as lard, eggs, fruit, and sugar. For that reasons, paczki are typically richer than donuts, using yeast instead of baking powder, for example.
— Prune or stewed plum filling is one of the traditional paczki flavors, but other fruit fillings are popular as well. Strawberry, blueberry, and apple are among the most common.
======
Make sure you receive all the local news The Lansing Journal publishes, not just the videos! Subscribe to The Lansing Journal's Daily News email: thelansingjournal.org/subscribe-from-youtube
=========
The questionable politics of Thornton Township Supervisors Tiffany Henyard and now Napoleon Harris brought new viewers and subscribers to our channel, and we appreciate their interest in our local politics. But most of the news that happens in Lansing and other parts of Thornton Township is much less dramatic but just as important. The Lansing Journal serves a diverse community and offers a diverse range of news — stories that are often overlooked by larger media. If you are interested in what local news looks like, subscribe to The Lansing Journal:
• Our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@lansingjournal?sub_confirmation=1
• Our Daily News email: thelansingjournal.org/subscribe-from-youtube
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit newsroom, and we depend on support from our viewers and readers in order to provide the journalism our community deserves. Visit the Donate page on our website to make a tax-deductible donation: thelansingjournal.org/donate
Every dollar goes directly into the journalism and helps support this local newspaper as we serve our community.
MISSION
The Lansing Journal is the only newspaper in Lansing, Illinois. Our mission is Building Community, and we fulfill that mission by keeping our diverse community informed and connected through local independent news that is freely accessible.
Subscribe to our channel: youtube.com/@lansingjournal?sub_confirmation=1
