Pause in Lent 2

I am getting prepared for Messy Church, which is on next Saturday and came across this craft idea - Pretzel Prayers. I did know the story of the pretzel, so though I would share it with you

Pretzels are not actually mentioned in the Bible. In about AD610 a monk was baking unleavened bread for Lent in his kitchen. Through the window he could see children praying. He decided to make treats for the children as a reward to reciting their prayers, so he used up the leftover pieces of dough to create strips folded like the arms of a person praying. The shapes were called pretiola, Latin for 'little reward', from which the word 'pretzel' has been derived. Since the, pretzels have remained a popular Lenten food and there are lots of different shapes and recipes.

So next time you are eating a pretzel think about the arms being crossed in prayer.

This post is part of A Pause in Lent hosted by Angie