I didn't expect people to actually guess at the pretzel answer! Good on y'all. :o)Because I am an entomology nerd, and suspect some of you all are as well, here's the whole story (according to the CERC).
In the early Church, the Lenten abstinence included all forms of meat and animal products. Additionally, the general rule was to eat only one meal a day - so a need arose for a “snack” that wouldn’t violate abstinence and fasting laws.
According to pretzel maker Snyder’s of Hanover, a young Italian monk in the early 600s was preparing a special Lenten bread of water, flour and salt. To remind his brother monks that Lent was a time of prayer, he rolled the bread dough in strips and then shaped each strip in the form of crossed arms, mimicking the then popular prayer position of folding one’s arms over each other on the chest. (Yeay, Melissa!)
Because these breads were shaped into the form of crossed arms, they were called bracellae, the Latin word for "little arms." From this word, the Germans derived the word bretzel which has since mutated to the familiar word pretzel.
Another possibility for the origins of the word pretzel is that the young monk gave these breads to children as a reward when they could recite their prayers. The Latin word pretiola means "little reward," from which pretzel could also be reasonably derived.
According to pretzel maker Snyder’s of Hanover, a young Italian monk in the early 600s was preparing a special Lenten bread of water, flour and salt. To remind his brother monks that Lent was a time of prayer, he rolled the bread dough in strips and then shaped each strip in the form of crossed arms, mimicking the then popular prayer position of folding one’s arms over each other on the chest. (Yeay, Melissa!)
Because these breads were shaped into the form of crossed arms, they were called bracellae, the Latin word for "little arms." From this word, the Germans derived the word bretzel which has since mutated to the familiar word pretzel.
Another possibility for the origins of the word pretzel is that the young monk gave these breads to children as a reward when they could recite their prayers. The Latin word pretiola means "little reward," from which pretzel could also be reasonably derived.
Comments
I had an epiphany (in keeping with the Easter theme) in Berkeley. The world can kiss my ass.
I don't care if you, Ms. Bosslady, think my colleagues and I are inept monkeys. We rock. You are mentally ill. I recommend high doses of unpronounceable medications and a nice long rest.
God Bless Berkeley!