Only in York County

So the winner for the best F of York County is…

Fastnachts! This was suggested by, well, just about everyone who reads regularly. (Not surprisingly.) Jo, though, I singled out in an earlier post, because she normally gets her fastnachts from her family in Juniata County.

She has an interesting thought about this local tradition, though, that made me glad it was selected as the “F” winner, despite me secretly rooting for Fitzkee’s Candies, which my family used to sell at our candy stand in the market. Even my husband didn’t stand up for it, but he had a good reason: “I really wanted to go with Fitzkee’s, because fastnachts are not unique to York County. But the bottom line is that fastnachts are a bigger part of our culture/history/identity, so they win my vote.”

Anyway, back to Jo, who wrote: “After I wrote on the blog I got to thinking that the donut making all these years is akin to the apple butter making. These traditions have a way of continuing on and on until enough participants die off that there’s no longer a sufficient number of hands to carry on. The cousins, myself included, are now the “older generation” of the family as all of our parents are deceased, which means none of us have any living aunts or uncles. Our children (the younger generation) are too into themselves and their own interests to understand the significance of a fastnacht and could care less about carrying on traditions. If you notice in photos of donut makers around York, most have white hair!”

Well, then, I’m glad we’re supporting the tradition on the blog! My friend Tracey, another of my somewhat younger generation, is also a supporter; she writes: “Holes in fastnachts? Blasphemy! Mom would always go get the plain and the sugared (not powdered) and we’d eat some plain, and I’d rip a hole in one with my finger and use a small spoon to shove some Smucker’s black raspberry jam into them. YUM!”

I never tried that, but I will for sure this year!