Pretzels

The next time you are at a baseball game and are about to stick your giant salted pretzel into the dollop of mustard the vendor gave you, think about this: pretzels have their origins in Christian symbolism.

The baked bread was created by monks (possibly in 610 AD/BCE in Italy) to hand out as treats to children who successfully remembered their prayers. Pretzels rapidly spread across Europe, always carrying their religious significance with them. Dough was formed into long strips which were crossed in the characteristic pattern to resemble a heart in shape, and then were baked. The crossed pattern in the center of the pretzels represented children's arms folded over their chests in prayer and the three holes in the pretzel were meant to stand for the Trinity.

Various derivations have been offered for the name. "Pretiola," Italian for "little rewards," has been suggested. The Italians claim to have made the first pretzels, as do some Greeks, French, and Germans. The German name is "brezel." Some claim the word is derived from the Latin words "bracellus" ("bracelet") or "bracchiola" ("little arms").

Trivia: The marriage euphemism, "tying the knot," reflects the practice of using a pretzel to represent the tying together of two families in marriage.