Paczki Day unites our community in many ways

By Aida Mandic
Special to The Review
Pączki Day is a wonderful memory from my childhood. My family would watch the movies “The Goonies” and “Jumanji” and snack on paczkis for hours.
After indulging in the delicious sweets, I would go outside and walk off all the calories. I knew exactly where my friends lived, so I would swing by their houses unannounced. My parents knew their parents. We were like family. I could literally walk inside of their houses, open the refrigerator door, and eat whatever I wanted. No one would be upset with me. No one would be shocked. We were super close.
Pączki Day is about more than food. It brings together people from multiple religions and nationalities. It’s not restricted to Polish people or to Catholic people. The residents of Hamtramck are curious to try this tasty treat.
It inspires creativity, beauty, love, tolerance, and camaraderie. The eating of delicious food builds trust and friendship between people who have never heard of a particular country or experienced the cultural and religious background of their neighbor. It’s a fascinating phenomenon that can be found right here in Hamtramck.

Author Aida Mandic

I remember buying a ton of paczkis and distributing them among my family and friends. Whatever was left over, I would give to my neighbors. People had a giant smile on their faces. They were so happy and grateful that I thought of them and wished them well. It was a great feeling. I would even walk down the street with three or four paczkis in a container and give them away to random people while walking down the street.
Hamtramck is a friendly place, so everyone would say “Thank you so much!” and start a conversation with me. I think that is a powerful, good, and beautiful culture. It puts people in an energetic mood. Paczkis build an atmosphere and they represent cultural heritage. They are a way to show respect and appreciation. Pączkis build memories and make a lasting effect on everyone. That is their legacy. They are a gift within themselves and that is their strength.
I have vivid memories of eating pączkis as a little girl with my friends. I would buy 20 pączkis and split them among my friends.
Bengalis ate them. Yemenis loved them. Poles devoured them. Bosnians would call me on the phone, asking which flavor they should buy.
Entire neighborhoods and streets would sit outside of their house on the steps and eat in bliss. It was such a fun, cool, and interesting experience. I remember looking forward to the experience every year.
I loved to see friends that I had not seen in a while. We would bond through something so small yet so precious. I love the fact that I got to grow up surrounded by that kind of energy. It is a wonderful and constructive way to meet people!

Aida Mandic is a Detroit-area author and writer.
Posted Feb. 15, 2026