Since time immemorial, bread and salt are a symbolic gift. Not only in this country. The need and also the occasions differ. In Germany, we give bread and salt to the catchment. But what’s behind it?
In the Bible it is stated as follows: “Jesus answered them,’ I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst”. And salt is also a sentence in the Old Testament: “ye are the salt of the earth”.
The custom goes back many years. Bread and salt is the staple food par excellence. No matter how poor it was, these two foods were allowed to be missing in a budget, never. The daily bread and the salt in the soup were regarded as the gifts of heaven. Especially if the time of natural disasters, crop failures, and Sultanbet Wars were drawn. Bread and salt was prayed for. Both luck and blessing seen, when it was in possession of the food.
bread and salt: essential for Life and for the spice in life
About the time bread and salt to the metaphor. Bread is essential to life, and the salt is the necessary spice in their life.
Today you give bread and salt to enter, to wish sedentary, prosperity and fertility. Earlier you said the Verse “bread and salt, God the receipt”, and handed over the gifts. But also to weddings, it gives the basic food to have the permanent Alliance between the couple. In the North of Germany, bread and salt is also placed the newborn in the diaper. Traditionally welcomed with bread and salt to guests.
Earlier it was believed that the bread and the salt protects against the devil and evil magic and curses. And today? Many of them will not give away the two foods, but the importance to be aware of. But one thing is sure: With this gift, you are doing everything right.