Grand Duke Receives a Pretzel (or 4)

Photo: Cour grand-ducale

Literally. In the tastiest news of the year thus far, Grand Duke Henri received four pretzels today. The pretzels were accompanied by members of the Fédération des Patrons Boulangers-Pâtissiers du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg. The reason for the guests? Sunday is Bretzelsonndeg.

To quote our post from last year, when Guillaume and Stéphanie had the same honour,the pretzel represents an Easter tradition unique to Luxembourg and part of Bretzelsonndeg, or Pretzel Sunday, which is the fourth Sunday of Lent. 

According to tradition, this Sunday is an opportunity for young men to demonstrate their interest in young ladies by giving them a decorated pastry in the shape of a pretzel. In the event that the young lady reciprocates the interest, she can give the young man a chocolate egg in return, on Easter Sunday. The size of the response gift also tends to correspond to the original: that is, the young lady gives a large egg if the young man has given her a large pretzel cake. However, the tradition states that everything is reversed during a Leap Year: the young lady presents the pretzel, while the young man presents the chocolate egg."

Another picture at the cour.