During a family vacation in eastern Pennsylvania when I was probably eight or ten years old, we stopped at the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery in the town of Lilitz, where I learned how to twist a pretzel and earned my own official Pretzel Twister’s Certificate, which was a prized possession for many years. (And yes, I still remember how to do it.) Among pretzel lovers, there are many strongly held opinions, such as hard vs. soft and what toppings, if any, are acceptable on a soft pretzel. But there seems to be general agreement that free pretzels are terrific, and you’ll find a number of pretzel vendors offering them today. April 26 has been National Pretzel Day since 1983, when it was declared as such by Pennsylvania Congressman Robert S. Walker.
