Thank Catholic Innovation for – Pretzels

Developed in the year 610 A.D. as a means to provide both literal and spiritual sustenance during Lent, pretzels were considered the ideal food at a time when all types of meat, eggs, and dairy were strictly prohibited. Did you know you can thank Catholic innovation for this salty snack we enjoy in many forms?

Legend holds that Italian monks folded strips of bread dough similar to the way the praying arms of children were crossed, the traditional posture of prayer in the seventh century. In fact, the Latin word for pretzel, bracellae, means “little arms.” Baked from a simple mixture of water, salt, and flour, the soft and doughy treats were given to their pupils as a reward for reciting their prayers correctly. Over time, the three interlocking loops of the pretzel came to represent the Holy Trinity–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  

As if it couldn’t get more interesting, history credits Austrian monks baking pretzels in the year 1510 with sparing the city of Vienna from invasion. Up early in the morning to bake pretzels in the basement of the monastery, they were able to hear Ottoman Turks tunneling under the city’s walls and alert the city to the enemy’s progress.

The next time you munch on one of America’s best-selling salty snacks during Lent or anytime, take notice of its shape and recall the innovative monks who got creative with a few simple ingredients.