History of Pretzels

While no one knows for sure how pretzels originated, the most popular story is that in 610 A.D., while baking bread, an Italian monk decided to create a special treat to motivate his distracted students. He rolled out ropes of dough, twisted them to resemble hands crossed on the chest in prayer, and then baked them. Hence, the pretzel was born.

The first pretzels were a soft, squishy bread, similar to the soft pretzels of today. They were always baked and originally called “bracellae.” This is the Latin word for “little arms” and complements the story of the monk's design. From this root word, the Germans derived the name “bretzel,” and from that, the word “pretzel” was created.

Probably because of their origin at a monastery, pretzels came to have religious importance. In the Middle Ages, monks gave away pretzels to the poor; this led to pretzels being seen as a religious symbol that provided sustenance, good fortune, and prosperity.

As the decades went by, pretzels came to symbolize love in addition to its other positive attributes. In 1614, royal couples in Switzerland used to break a pretzel in their wedding ceremonies. Some believe this is where the phrase “tying the knot” became common. In the 1700s, German immigrants brought the popular snack to the U.S. with many pretzel bakeries opening in Pennsylvania during this time. Even today, about 80% of pretzels made in America are made in Pennsylvania – including OMG! Pretzels.

Pennsylvania is also the home to the first hard pretzel manufacturer. In 1861, Julius Sturgis opened the first commercial pretzel bakery in Lititz, Pennsylvania focused on these crunchy snacks. At the time, they were seen as beneficial because they could be transported far away from the bakery given their long shelf life. This helped pretzels spread across the young country, placing hard pretzels in more homes in America.

Fun Facts about Pretzels

Here are some fun facts about pretzels:

National Pretzel Day is on April 26.

October is National Pretzel Month.