In some cultures it has been customary to cut off the ears of criminals before they hung on the gallows. Apparently for those that don't listen they must feel. The Jews have a custom of eating a pastry during the feast of Purim that is called Hamantaschen, literally Haman's ears. This stems from the story in the book of Esther where Haman had prepared a gallows to hang the Jews on because of his hatred of the Jews. The Jews prayed and God turned things around and Haman ended up hanging on the very gallows he had prepared. In celebration the Jews eat Haman's ears.
In similar fashion the croissant that has become popular in the west has a somewhat parallel story.
Legend has it that due to conflict with the Ottoman crescent, during the siege of Vienna in 1683 during which the Muslims were defeated, bakers began to bake these crescent shaped breads in celebration. Some claim the history goes back even further to the Battle of Tours in 732. Share the joy and eat more croissants.
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