Pretzel

I have just read that pretzels are a traditional Lenten food, and I thought they were just a device to make you drink more beer. Reading about its religious significance, I wondered about the origin of the pretzel. This from - where else? - Wikipedia:

There are numerous accounts on the origin of the looped pretzels, as well as the origin of the name; most agree that they have Christian backgrounds and were invented by monks. According to The History of Science and Technology, by Bryan Bunch and Alexander Hellemans, in 610 AD "...an Italian monk invents pretzels as a reward to children who learn their prayers. He calls the strips of baked dough, folded to resemble arms crossing the chest, 'pretiola' ("little rewards").
You learn something new every day, and that's a fact.