Some traditions say that the earliest pretzels were rewards monks gave to their students for reciting their prayers correctly. But they ultimately became popular because of their simple ingredient list. The first pretzels were made with just flour, salt, and water.

Christians in the seventh century followed strict rules about what they could eat during the season of Lent. Meat, dairy, fats, and eggs were all off-limits from Ash Wednesday through Easter. Pretzels could be made with inexpensive ingredients that followed the Lent fasting practices of the time. This made them popular.

It was customary to give pretzels to townspeople who were poor on certain days of Lent.