It’s February 29–Leap Day–and you know what that means, right?
Reverse Bretzel Sunday!
Bretzel Sunday (Bretzelsonndeg in Luxembourgish), also called Laetare Sunday, always falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which this year is March 6. Normally this is a day when young men give a bretzel to the object of their affections.
But since 2016 is a Leap Year, the whole thing gets reversed, and the women give bretzels to the men they love.
It seems a little odd that such a wonderfully delicious treat would be a part of the Lenten season. I’m not Christian, but I thought Lent was all about fasting and prayer.
In any case, a basic bretzel dough is made with just flour and water. So they arguably do fit the bill–at least in Alsace where bretzels are savory. But seeing as the Luxembourgish versions are made with sugar and eggs and come topped with toasted almonds and icing or apricot jam–Mmmmm! I’m glad that’s the tradition here.
You don’t have to wait until March 6 to enjoy these seasonal treats.
So ladies–if you want to make your own, here’s a recipe. Plenty of time to get that recipe right–and eat up all the practice bretzels–before the Big Day.
