Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Saluting-Her-Heritage Bethany

In Which The Bethany Who Takes Pride In Her German Heritage Steps To The Mic

I get oodles of questions about the meaning behind my user name/blog address/email address, "square donut". People always think I'm so creative with that title, that I've picked something so incredibly random.

I hate to burst your bubble, but I gotta tell on myself. I'm not that creative.

"Square donut" is one of the translations of my last name. Rather, you can buy a pastry called a Fasnacht in Amish Country (maybe other places, too).

I even tried to make them from scratch for a seventh-grade immigration project. (I mean, how perfect was it that my last name was actually relevant to the project! I knew I'd be the hit of the class. Please don't mention how much of a geek I am; it only gets worse.)

However, the recipe (which I declare a translation from my family straight from Germany - I don't care if it's true or not) didn't work out very well, so I just ended up using a doughnut recipe and called them Fasnachts. No one knew the difference, and I'm sure I got a wonderful grade on the project, like always. :o)

Back to Fasnachts. Since the Lenten season is drawing nigh, people all over the world are about to celebrate me. Or at least my last name. I just like to pretend I'm THAT cool. (But I've got an older sister who regularly bursts that bubble.)

ANYway. Fasnacht - the day celebrated 'round the world. Never heard of it? That's just because you don't speak German. People get drunk, overindulge, flash their assets, etc. on this day. *sigh* shouldn't I be proud?

Yep, my surname is the day of the year where everyone acts like the beasts we are in preparation for 40+ days of fasting/denial/self-flaggelation/whatever as a symbol for the 40 days Christ spent in the desert before he started his ministry.

Just like the weekend before you start your crash diet, people all over the world stuff themselves full of everything's that bad for them (food AND otherwise, of course) before they give it all up in worship to God. (No comments here about how the best idea would be to just NOT DO THOSE THINGS in the first place, I promise.)

Fasnacht = Shrove Tuesday = Fat Tuesday. But I prefer NOT to use the "Fat Tuesday" title and will forevermore use the more friendly "Fluffy Tuesday" in its place.

The coolest part of my name's history is that there are Fasnacht pastries because apparently lots of Germans like their doughnuts and would GORGE themselves on Fluffy Tuesday before they gave sweets up for Lent.

Which all means I come by my self-indulgence genetically. I'm saluting my heritage without even trying! :o) I mean, how could I hold my head up high if I was a skinny, size zero model??? My last name would mean nothing!

So people of the world unite! On this Tuesday, remember to raise your pudgy, doughnut-filled hand as a salute to me and my forefathers. Because we're one of the many reasons why we all could use a diet (or for the more holy among us, could use a little fasting).


2 comments:

Katie said...

fluffy tuesday!!!!!
loves it!!

oh, and the next time i'm in town, we have to go to square donuts on 249, if it's still there. i've always wanted to go, but never had the chance. and shipley's. i gotta hit up shipley's.

word verification:
hiest
seriously? come on, blogger!! give me something i can work with!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm a Bethany, too...and I also have a sister named Dana. Weird! I was doing the Google "Bethany needs..." thing and found you, and found that. Just needed to mention it. I have been coming across more and more Bethany's as I get older, but it's still pretty cool!