The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-14
SUPERSTITION ABOUT BREAD.
What Housewives For Centuries
IlnXe DeIieNed.
From HousehoId Words.

Ioln t1OuSeuolQ NOTNSs
1t would be surprising. indeed, If there
were not many supersitions about bread.
The one Indispensable article of food is
naturally in every nation a favorite sub
1ect Of folklore. No French peasant be-
gins new loaf without crossing it with
the knife. The English superstition that
bread cracked in the baking portends mis-
fortunes in the family has taken root in
America. In Germany too. the housewife
stil believes that cracks on the top of
the loaf of bread indicate the death Of
some one in the household, or. perhaps.
misfortune to 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 before
placing Il in the oven. The reason for
making this sign becomes plain when we
know the origin of the custom. Almost
all our supersutions about bread date
back TO Old pagan days, though they have
been greatly modified - as to conform to
Christian beliefs. With the ancient Ro-
mans, the baking of bread and cakes was
often invested with a religious signih-
canoe, especially the cakes offered TO the
gods and goddesses These cakes We're
prepared in a particular way, and after
being marked with the symbol of the deity
in whose honor they were offered. they
We're supposed to possess supernatural viz
tues.
The old domestic practice was modified,
when Christianity became triumphant and
In place of a pagan symbol the early
christian housewife not only used to max
the sign of the cross when she began TO
knead the dough, but she marked that
sign upon her loaf before placing it In
the oven. Why? Simply because the sign
of the cross is the recognized Christian
protection mark against the attacks of
EVIL spirits, witches and the like. Hence,
bread marked with the cross is supposed
to be witch proof, will make 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, so
Christian have cakes for certain seasons.
Our hot cross buns on Good Friday are
simply modern representatives of the
cakes used at some old pagan festival. In
days gone by the cakes and buns baked
at Easter were supposed to possess great
virtue. Thus, it is an old belief that the
observance of eating cross buns on Good
Friday insures, so to speak, the house
from fire for the coming year. We still
eat a certain kind of pancake on Shrove
Tuesday The practice is referred to In
'Alrs Well That Ends Well" where the
clown speaking of a pancake for Shrove
Tuesday" In "Percles," they are called
"fiapjacks'-a term still used In country
districts.
In truth, to study the superstitions
about bread is to take a wide lesson in
folk lore. These supersttions relate to
the kneading trough, the oven bakers and
bread. For instance. in many parts of
France the "arche," or kneadng trough,
Is more than rude kitchen utensil; it is
often a pretty bit of furniture NJ Sch
Hot who has collected many of the super
stitions of the French folk relative to
bread, quotes the story of thief who
entered the window of a house with in
tent to commit burglary, but refused to
step on the trough still containing the
dough, believing that to do so would be
an impiety. This is similar to the Ameri-
can story of two hungry burglars who
refused to satisfy their hunger with the
meat which they found In a well-stocked
larder because 1t was Friday.
A writer In one. of our magazines says
that in Cortland the cross Is still signed
before the oven fire is lighted or the dough
kneaded. This practice Is very common
in the country districts all over Europe
In Brittany 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
should enter the room the bread would not
rise Certain charms or invocations are
used to cause the bread to multiply itself
Thus, the peasant housewife adjures the
dough to initiate the leaven, the wheat,
the miller, and to rise. She would be very
angry il 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 a sacred object In certain places
of Brittany, for example, " is dedicated
with ceremonies; the wood is sprinkled
with blessed water; the proper heat Is at
tested by the melting of a bottle, and,
finally, an egg is broken for luck Besides,
there are certain days ON which bread
must not be baked, as on Good Friday 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 large number of supersttions. Accord
ing to an old English superstition, If a
loaf accidentally parts In the hand while
an unmarried lady is cutting It, this may
be taken to indicate either that she will
not be married during the next 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 cutting it. OF course,
IL is everywhere regarded as bad luck for
a piece of bread to fall on the buttered
side. Finally we may note the custom of
carrying crust OF bread IN the pocket
"just for luck'-a practice which has not
gone out of fashion at the present day
and is alluded to by our poet Herrick
IF ye fear to be affrighted
When We are by chance benighted,
If in your pocket for a trust
Carry nothing but a crust,
For that holy piece of bread
N Charms the danger and the dread"
-S-sr-s
Few Chinese Suicides
From the Chicago Tribune