Arrr, a nitpick!
“Pączki” is plural; the singular is “pączek”. You don’t say “pączkis” since it’s already plural anyway (just like how pierogi is plural already, so there’s no need to say ‘pierogies’).
Take it from someone who helps her gramma make over 250 pierogi (from scratch) every Christmas-time. 
AKA Mardi Gras, Carnival, Fat Tuesday.
Yeah, but now I have to confess that I had it right the first time, 'cause I had two. 
I specifically came in here to mention this, and you beat me to it. 's where I’m going for dinner. I’m gonna donate the hell out of our local IHOP.
Plus, I like charities that benefit kids.
~Tasha
I’ve never heard of the tie-cutting custom. Coming from a Latino family, we don’t customarily have pancakes on the day before Ash Wednesday, but it doesn’t sound like a bad idea. My sis brought some French crepe mix last time she visited, so I should probably go make some in a little while. With orange marmalade -yum!
It’s not traditional in their religion.
I’m almost (but not quite) ashamed to say that I went back for dinner. And I certainly did donate.
Another consumer of paczki, here. (Fresh strawberry filling, mmmm.)
Ok let me modify this to say: I’d be pissed at someone destroying my clothing/other property for any stupid tradition. Sorry, but that is just NOT OK.
May I suggest that if you and your BF ever get to Arizona, you do not go to Pinnacle Peak Restaurant in Scottsdale.
Shrove Tuesday or not, you may not be happy with the results.
Actually I spent the first 25 years of my life in Arizona (my hometown is Tucson) and there was a restaurant there which had a similar practice. I never went there, never will, and have always been horrified at the practice. I mean it’s one thing to go there in a horrid tie you hate, knowing in advance they’d cut it and hang it from the ceiling, but to go not knowing and have your tie cut? Sorry, but I’d raise hell.
In Bavaria - (which Aschaffenburg just so qualifies for - my roommate is from there, incidentally) it’s called Fasching, and not taken as serious as in other regions. Karneval is what they call it in the Rhineland regions, where it is treated like some kind of religion. There are two big “sects” to the religion of Karneval, one around Cologne, and one around Mainz, both of those cities also have a parade on Monday (“Rosenmontag”).
The tie-cutting tradition, btw, is supposed to only take part on Thursday (“Weiberfastnacht”), and German men usually wear old ties on that day - while it is pretty crappy to cut off ties of people who are unawares of that custom, once you meet a pack of inebriated housewives with scissors, all bets are off.
OK, maybe I can get on board with this religion…
I was in Liberal, Kansas yesterday (Shrove Tuesday) so of course I had tons of pancakes.
Liberal (trust me not liberal at all - it’s Kansas for heavens sake!) is the home of Pancake Day and they have all the pancakes you can eat for $3, a Miss Pancake beauty contest, a Pancake Day parade, pancake recipe contests and pancake eating contests. They even have a high tea.
The big deal is the Pancake Day race. Liberal, Kansas and Olney, England each hold a foot race for young women who must wear a scarf on her head and an apron and carry a frying pan. The young women must be residents of one of the communities and must flip a pancake at least three times along the .6 mile course snaking through the downtown areas of each community. After the race, the two towns call one another and compare times and celebrate the result. Liberal had the better time this year.
Anyway, I was on assignment to cover the festivities for an in-flight magazine. I saw pancake hats, pens, socks, shirts, posters, even frisbees called pancake discs.
Actually it wasn’t too bad. But I am beginning to think twice about my agreeing to cover Cow Chip Daze in Beaver, Oklahoma next year.
Bolding mine.
Now those are some words to live by.
I made pancakes and sausage for supper last night. Pancakes and sausages make a damn fine supper.