The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-02
BREAD sUPERsTITIoNs.
Origin of the Cross on the Top OF
the Loaf.
From the New York Post.

From the New York Post.
One morning last summer, when 1 was
spending few days at farm house in
Eastern Ohio. the good housewife show
ed that she was troubled Naturally.
inquired the cause "Oh," she said, I'm
afraid something dreadful. will happen.
This morning l put a batch of bread into
the oven. and all the loaves except one,
cracked across the top"
What If they did?" l replied in tones
of curiosity.
Don't You know" she said. with an
air of surprise, that when bread cracks
across the top IL means misfortune to
some one in the family? / would not have
had it happen for the world"
As l left few days after this mishap
to the bread, l never learned whether the
sign was a true omen or not. However.
the housewife had contributed to my stock
of information, and had given me an item
of folklore that led to further inves-
tgation.
one of my German friends tells me
that in many parts of his native coun-
try the housewife still believes that
cracks on the top of the loaf of bread
indicate the death of some one in the
household, or. perhaps, misfortune to a
dear friend, while cracks on the lower
side of the bread are taken to indicate
a birth.
AS many of us know. our bakers mark
the sign of a cross upon the dough be-
fore placing it in the oven. The reason
for making this sign becomes plain
when he knows the origin of the custom.
Almost all our superstitiOns about bread
date back to the old pagan days, though
they have been greatly modified so as
10 conform to Christian beliefs. With
1.-The ancient Romans the baking of
bread and cakes was often invested
with religious significance, especially
the cakes offered to the gods and god
desses. These cakes were prepared in
particularly way and after being marked
with the symbol of the deity IN whose
honor they were offered, they We're sup
posed to possess SUPERNATURAL virtues.
| fed when Christianity became tFjum-
plant, and, in place OF a pagan symbol,
the early christian housewife mot only
used to make the sign Of the cross when
she began to kneads her dough, but she
marked that sign upon, her loaf before
placing il in the oven. Why? Simply
because the sign. OF the cross is the
recognized Christian =, protecting mark
against the attacks Of evil spirits, witches
and the like. Hence, bread marked with
the cross is supposed to be witch-proOf
VIII bake all right, not crack across the
top, etc.
just as the Jews have Passover cakes,
and other peoples have had specially pre-
pared food for their religious festivals, 50
! the Christians have cakes for certain
seasons. Our hot cross buns on Good
| FRIDAY are simply modern Representatives
OF the cakes used at some old pagan fes-
tiVal. In days gone by, the cakes and
buns baked at Easter were. supposed ia
| possess great virtues Thus. IL is an old
Deilet that the observance of eating cross
| Duns on Good Friday insures so to sneak
the house from fire for the coming wear
| The practice is referred to in "Ali's Well
| that Ends Well" where the clown speaks
| OF "a pancake for ShroVe Tuesday, In
'Pericles, they are called "fap-iacks''-
a term sun used in our New England and
| other country districts.
IN truth, to study the superstftions
about bread is to take wide lesson in
| folk-lore. These superstitions relate Ia
the kneading-trough, the oven. bakers
ana an bread. For instance. in many parts
or France the archie or kneading-trough
is more than a rude kitchen utensil: ii
IS ,otten a pretty bit Of furniture M. Sc
blllot, who has collected many of the su-
| persuuons of the French folk relative TO
| bread, quotes the story of thief who en-
tered the window of house with intent
10 commit burglary, but refused to step
on the trough still containing the dough
/ bei1evlng that to do so would be an mn
plety. This is similar to the American
story Of two hungry burglars who refus-
ed to satisfy their hunger with the meat
| which they found in a well-stocked lar
| der because it was Friday.
A writer in one of the recent numbers
/ or an English magazine says that in Colt
| land the cross is still signed before the
oven fire is lighted or the dough kneaded
| This practice is very common in the coun-
| try districts all over Europe In Rrit-
| tany the housewife makes the sign of
| the cross with the right hand while she
| places the left hand in the trough After
the dough is kneaded the lid of the trough
| is smut, and so is the door; for if a
cat should enter the room, the'bread would
/ not rise Certain charms or invocations
1 are used to cause the bread to multiply
! itself. Thus, the peasant housewife adj
jures the dough to initiate the leaven.
the wheat the miller, and to rise She
would be very angry if any one should
sing or whistle in the room while she
is making the loaf.
In some parts of Europe the bake-oven
is almost sacred object. In certain
places of Brittany, for example, it is
dedicated with ceremonies; the wood is
sprinkled with blessed water; the proper
heat is attested by the melting of a bot
tie, and finally an egg is broken for luck.
| Besides, there are certain days on which
bread must not be baked as on Holy Fri
day, or during the night of All Saints,
when the ghosts would be sure to eat it.
The loaf of bread itself is connected with
a whole crowd Of superstttions A long
time resident in France informs me that
the custom of marking the bread with
the sign of the cross before cutting it is
very general. Sometimes the first mouth
full of bread is used to make this sign
According to an old English supersti-
! ton, If a loaf accidentally parts in the
it, this may be taken to indicate either
that she will not be married during the
bnext twelve months, or, what is worse
that there will be dissensions of some kind
| in the family Some folks have a fear
Of turning a loaf upside down after cut
ting. it OF course, It is everywhere re.
to fall on the buttered side. Finally
note the custom Of carrying a crust OF
bread in the pocket Just for luck"-a
| practice which has not gone out Of fash
ion at the present day, and is alluded to
| by the English poet Herrick:
''If We fear to be affrighted
When we are, by chance, benighted,
1 In your pocket for a trust
Carry nothing but crust.
I For that holy piece of bread
Charms the danger and the dread"
A sheriff Robbed of $4,000.
/ st. Louis, Jan. LA special from Merid.
I ian, Miss, says that Sheriff Duyal Of Jones
county was bound and gagged Ia his Of
l q IL Il - Il