Today National Pretzel Day! 

There are a few different accounts of the origin of the pretzel.

The origins of the pretzel remain unclear, however, the twisted baked bread dates back to 610 AD. 

Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants introduced pretzels to North America in the 1900s. 

Many pretzel bakeries began to populate Pennsylvania.

Today, the average Philadelphian consumes about 12 times as many pretzels as the national average.

The annual United States pretzel industry is worth over $550 million, and the average American consumes about 1.5 pounds of pretzels per year, according to National Calendar Day.