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Enjoy this curated selection of theme-related dances for celebrations and holidays, or find a dance associated with a special calendar day, or EVEN your own birthday!
Apr 26
Pretzel Day
Soft Pretzels
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
“Twist it once, twist it twice,
Bake it golden, crisp and nice.”
Fond of pretzels? Expert at baking and knots? Love the twisty figures in Scottish Dancing? Well, you may well enjoy this 32 bar jig for 3 couples (and pretzel lovers) with its diagonal reels and half figure of eights, that reminded devisor Sue McKinnell of her hometown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a place well-known for their soft pretzels!
Supposedly invented by a 7th-century Italian monk, the pretzel begins not as a snack, but as a lesson. The story goes that strips of simple, unleavened dough were folded to resemble arms crossed in prayer—a visual reminder for children learning their devotions during Lent. Even the name is often traced to the Latin bracellae, meaning “little arms.”
By the Middle Ages, the pretzel had become a symbol of good luck, prosperity, and even spiritual wholeness. In parts of Germany, couples exchanged pretzels for good fortune; elsewhere, they appeared in paintings and religious imagery!
In North America, German immigrants carried their recipes and techniques to the United States, especially in Pennsylvania, where pretzels became a regional staple, evolving into both soft, chewy bakery versions and the harder, crisp, shelf-stable twists that became a ubiquitous snack found in all grocery stores.
Dancers could always use a refueling snack (hint, hint)! And bring that hot mustard! 🕺 💃 🤎 🤎 🤎 🥨 🥨 🥨 😀
Soft Pretzels
Happy Pretzel Day! Both delicious, symbolic, and loved throughout the world, pretzels also figure in political intrigue!
Long before alarm systems and organized night patrols, bakers were among the few tradespeople regularly awake in the darkest hours before dawn. Their ovens had to be lit early and bread prepared in time for the morning market, which meant they were often working while the rest of the town slept. This unusual schedule gave bakers a practical, if unofficial, role as early observers of anything unusual happening in the streets or beneath them.
A well-known Viennese tradition—often repeated in Austrian and German baking lore—links bakers to the defense of the city during the Siege of Vienna. According to the story, bakers working through the night heard faint sounds of digging as Ottoman forces attempted to tunnel under the city walls. Recognizing the danger, they alerted the authorities, allowing defenders to counter the attack. While historians agree that tunneling (mining) was indeed used during the siege and that early detection was critical, there is no definitive primary source confirming that bakers themselves were responsible—the tale survives mainly through later retellings in cultural histories and guild traditions.
Whether authentic or not, the pretzel became a classic
pictorial marker for bakeries!
Try your hand at some soft pretzels with an interesting recipe - maybe design a few Celtic knot pretzels for a "twist"?
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
