Bean, fastnachts are Pennsylvania Dutch doughnuts which are a specialty at Fastnacht festivals, held on Fastnacht -- Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday. A fastnacht is a light yeast-raised doughnut, not too large, similar to a jelly doughnut, but never filled. They are spherical in shape, or as close as the cook can get to it. When they come out of the fat (lard is the classical fat) they are immediately sprinkled with granulated sugar, sometimes with cinnamon sugar. Most delicious.
There is a famous Fastnacht Festival held annually in Kutztown, PA. The eating of doughnuts on Shrove Tuesday is similar to the pancakes eaten in other cultures (chiefly UK and C of E) the same day. It is said that this started when housewives needed an excuse to use up fats and sugar before Lent started, but this sounds lame to me. At least at Kutztown they don't have women running races while juggling doughnuts the way they do with the pancake races in the UK.
