Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Lent is one of my favorite church seasons. I love how it really makes me reflect on the amazing gift we have been given as children of God.
If you have never done any special things with your child during lent you might consider something that would help your family reflect on the importance of this season. Lent is wrought with meaning and symbolism but I wanted to share one fun activity to help focus on prayer.
Prayer Pretzels--
Did you know that the pretzel is a traditional food for lent?
When early Christians would pray, they would
cross their arms and touch each shoulder with the opposite hand. They also fasted
very strictly during lent, making their bread with only water, flour, and salt.
A monk shaped this in the form of praying arms for children, and the pretzel
was born!
Soft Pretzel Recipe~ What you need:
- 1 package
yeast
- 1 1/2 cups
warm water
- 1 tablespoon
sugar
- 1 tablespoon
salt
- 4 cups flour
- 1 egg
Mix your yeast, water, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in
the flour, and knead until the dough is smooth. Shape into the form of arms
crossed in prayer and place it on a baking sheet. Brush the dough with a beaten
egg to give it a shiny finish. Sprinkle the top
with salt, and bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for 15 minutes.