Fastnacht Day
Among previous generations of the Pennsylvania Dutch, Fasnacht Day was not only a day for eating donuts and using up the remaining fats and sugar in preparation for Lent, but also a time for looking ahead to the coming growing season, and taking stock of your readiness for preparing the land. It was once common to ritually anoint all of the agricultural tools that would be used in turning, tilling, and cultivating the soil, including shovels, hoes, forks, and plows, as well as the implements that would later be used for the grain harvest, including the scythes, sickles, grain forks, and scoops. This process of greasing the tools with Fasnacht fat was not only intended to be a blessing for the productivity of the coming year and a safeguard against pests and blights, but also a practical opportunity to clean and protect the tools from rust, identify any implements needing mending or repairs, and general organizing of the farm tools. As with all Pennsylvania Dutch ritual traditions, the purpose and intent reinforces the spiritual with the practical, and allows for an opportunity to gather, celebrate with your family and neighbors, and to imbue common everyday activities of the agricultural year with greater significance.