The Metro: Paczki Day highlights Polish culture and history

By: Cary Junior II

17 February 2026 at 18:02

For practicing Catholics, today is the last day to indulge in some of your favorite snacks and treats before lent—and a Paczki might be the sweetest snack of all.

Fat Tuesday or Paczki day has become a staple celebration in metro Detroit since Polish immigrants first migrated here in the 1910s. Michigan is home to over 740,000 Polish Americans. Only New York and Illinois have more.

Most Polish immigrants originally lived in the city of Hamtramck, but after the Dodge Main factory in closed, many moved to suburban cities like Warren and Sterling Heights.

George Kurzatkowski is a board member of the American Polish Cultural Center in Troy. He joined the program to discuss Polish culture and history, and the meaning behind Paczki day.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

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