A closer look
Getting 13 bagels for the price of 12 isn't generosity; it’s ancient paranoia. In 13th-century England, King Henry III passed severe economic laws regulating the exact weight and price of bread. If a baker accidentally shortchanged a customer, they faced crippling fines or a public flogging. Because baking techniques were imprecise, terrified bakers started throwing an extra loaf into every batch of twelve just to guarantee they hit the legal weight and kept their hands intact.






