Bretzelsonndeg (Pretzel Sunday) takes place 20 days before Easter, which is half through lent. In Luxembourg we therefore also call it Halleffaaschtensonndeg (half lent Sunday); this year it will be on 6th March.
At the beginning of spring, when positive emotions resurface, the boy gives a pretzel to the girl who he has laid his eyes on. The feelings for her must be as big and as sweet as the almond pastry that he is about to offer her. In case the feelings are mutual and the girl is interested, she will offer him a Chocolate Egg in return, on Easter Sunday. This means that it will leave her 20 days to consider her options…
The same rule applies for existing relationships where the man will offer his sweetheart a pretzel to re-emphasise his tender feelings for her.
In a leap year, it is the other way around and the girls take the lead by offering a pretzel to the boy. As 2016 is a leap year we ladies are in charge of the sweet delights.
Until the middle of the 20th century this was a local custom only, popular around the rivers Moselle and Sûre. Nowadays it is celebrated by everyone in Luxembourg.
It is said that long time ago, the custom imposed that couples who had married during the previous year, offer a pretzel to all the guests who had managed to receive a part of the bride’s garter…
During my youth when I was a member of the scouts, spring fewer started earlier for us…. I was told that if a boy was interested in a girl, he would blacken her face at Buergbrennen, with the cooled down ashes. This initial act then marked the beginning of the mating season which lead to Bretzels, Easter Eggs and ended up in marriage!
Although men should not need a reminder to offer something sweet to their honeys, it’s a great tradition for us women….. and the baker trade for that matter.
Happy Bretzelsonndeg!
