When is National Pretzel Day?
National Pretzel Day 2027 is on Monday
Monday, April 26, 2027
April 26 every year. That's in 191 days.
until National Pretzel Day begins, in your time zone
National Pretzel Day celebrates the twisted pretzel, both the soft, chewy kind sold warm by street vendors and the crunchy hard kind sold by the bag. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell declared it in 2003 to honor the snack's long history in his state.
About National Pretzel Day
Pennsylvania has a long claim on the American pretzel. In the Pennsylvania Dutch town of Lititz, Julius Sturgis bought a stone house on East Main Street in 1861 and opened what his family's bakery describes as the first commercial pretzel bakery in America. The building, which dates from 1784, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and Sturgis descendants still bake pretzels in the region. The bakery's own history notes that a grandson, Marriott Sturgis, opened a second pretzel bakery in Reading in 1946, and that the family calls itself the oldest pretzel-baking family in the country.
National Pretzel Day has a documented beginning. In 2003, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, a former mayor of Philadelphia, declared April 26 National Pretzel Day to recognize the pretzel's importance to the state's history, as NBC10 Philadelphia and 6abc have reported. Although it was a state proclamation rather than an act of Congress or a presidential proclamation, the date has since been kept nationwide.
The day is not a public holiday. Bakeries, food writers and pretzel fans use it to celebrate the snack, and it is especially popular in the Philadelphia region and the rest of Pennsylvania.
Sources: NBC10 Philadelphia: How former Pa. Gov. Ed Rendell gave us National Pretzel Day (April 26, 2024), 6abc Philadelphia: National Pretzel Day 2024, Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery: Sturgis History. How we check dates.
How to mark National Pretzel Day
- Bake soft pretzels at home: give the shaped dough a quick dip in a baking soda bath before baking for the deep brown crust and classic flavor.
- Practice the classic twist: roll a long rope, make a U, cross the ends twice and press them onto the bottom of the loop.
- Visit a local bakery that twists pretzels by hand, or plan a trip to the historic pretzel bakeries of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
- Set up a pretzel dipping board with different mustards, a cheese sauce and a sweet option like melted chocolate.
- Use crushed hard pretzels as a crunchy coating for chicken or fish, or in a sweet-and-salty bar cookie.
National Pretzel Day dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Saturday, April 26, 2025 |
| 2026 | Sunday, April 26, 2026 |
| 2027 | Monday, April 26, 2027 |
| 2028 | Wednesday, April 26, 2028 |
| 2029 | Thursday, April 26, 2029 |
| 2030 | Friday, April 26, 2030 |
| 2031 | Saturday, April 26, 2031 |
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Frequently asked questions
When is National Pretzel Day 2027?
National Pretzel Day 2027 is on Monday, April 26, 2027. It falls on April 26 every year. In 2028, it is on Wednesday, April 26, 2028.
Who created National Pretzel Day?
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell declared April 26 National Pretzel Day in 2003 to honor the pretzel's place in the state's history. It was a state proclamation, not a federal one.
Where was America's first commercial pretzel bakery?
In Lititz, Pennsylvania, where Julius Sturgis opened a pretzel bakery in 1861. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open for tours.
Is National Pretzel Day a public holiday?
No. National Pretzel Day is an observance, not a public holiday, so schools, banks, government offices and most businesses keep their normal hours.