Save some dough on twisted treats Friday.

It's National Pretzel Day and pretzel franchises and businesses nationwide are celebrating the salty made-up food holiday by giving away pretzels and other discounted treats.

The day to honor the knotted treat began in 1983 by then-U.S. Rep. Robert Walker of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Twenty years later in 2003, then-Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell made it official when he declared April 26 as National Pretzel Day.

According to a survey from Shopkick, 63% said they opted for a salty pretzel, followed by 33% sweet and 3% spicy.

The shopping rewards app partnered with Auntie Anne’s to survey more than 40,000 Americans to get their take on the great dipping debate and found 54% of pretzel fans like to dip their pretzels.

If you're planning to celebrate Friday, "mustard up" some patience because long lines are expected.

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Pretzel Day perks

Here are the deals and freebies, available Friday at participating locations, unless otherwise noted. To be on the safe side, check with your closest location before heading out. Some offers require you to have a mobile app.

Auntie Anne’s: The world's largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise has a three-day deal. Buy any pretzel item and get an Original or Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel for free Friday through Sunday. The offer will be available for anyone to access on the company’s website and added to Pretzel Perks app user accounts. Sign up for the rewards program at www.auntieannes.com. Through Friday, get $25 off $100 catering orders with promo code NPD25.

Ben's Soft Pretzels: With a $1 minimum donation to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, get a free jumbo soft pretzel Friday. One traditional pretzel per person. The company says 100% of donations will go toward building new centers for military personnel who suffer from traumatic brain injury or psychological health conditions. Plus, enter to win free pretzels for a year by posting a Ben's Pretzel photo to Instagram or Twitter using two hashtags: #NationalPretzelDay and #Benspretzels.

Cumberland Farms: Get a free Chill Zone fountain or frozen beverage with the purchase of any hot pretzel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at participating locations.

Philly Pretzel Factory: Get a free soft pretzel Friday at all locations. No purchase necessary.

Pretzelmaker: New and existing Pretzelmaker Rewards app members get a free original soft pretzel (salted or unsalted) on Friday. Download the app and sign up to join by 8 p.m. Friday to receive the offer. Also, 25 users will be surprised with a pretzel party featuring the company’s new catering offerings. Learn more at www.pretzelmaker.com/national-pretzel-day-2019.

Quaker Steak & Lube: Revved Up Rewards members get a free pretzel with beer cheese dip for National Pretzel Day. Sign up for the loyalty program at https://rewards.thelube.com/rewards.

Snyder’s of Hanover: Through April 28, get $1 off two bags of Snyder’s of Hanover or Snack Factory pretzel bags at participating retailers nationwide with a coupon on select packages. The brand also will be giving free bags away in select cities nationwide including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Washington, D.C., at 8 a.m. Find a list of locations here.

Utz Snacks: The pretzel brand is giving away free snacks for a year to one person. To enter, like and share a Facebook post at www.facebook.com/UtzSnacks with a comment on your favorite kind of Utz Pretzel. Learn more here.

Wetzel's Pretzels: Friday also is National Wetzel's Day and the chain is giving out free original pretzels. No purchase necessary. Follow the brand's Instagram page by Sunday to get a code for another free pretzel through the Wetzel’s Pretzel app valid through May 5.

World of Beer: Members of the WOB Rewards program who buy a German pretzel Friday, get an offer for a free pretzel Saturday through May 4. To join the program, download the World of Beer app or register at www.worldofbeer.com/WOBRewards.

More deals: Other locally owned businesses and smaller chains may also have National Pretzel Day deals Friday. One of the easiest ways to find specials is by checking social media accounts.

Follow Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko