Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1902-06-20
OMENS ABOUT BREAD.
WHAT HOUSEWIVES HAVE BE-
LIEvED FOR CENTURIES.
They Make the Dough Nowadays with
the Sign of the Cross, just as the
Ancient Romans Did-Super
that Die Slowly.

II would be surprising, indeed. II
there were not many superstitions
about bread. The one Indispensable
article OF food is naturally In every ma
ton a favorte subject Of folk lore. No
French peasant begins new loaf with
out crossing 1t with the knife. The
English superstition that bread cracked
In the baking portends misfortunes in
the family has taken root In America.
In Germany, too, 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, mis-
fortune to dear friend, while cracks
OH the lower side OF the bread are
taken to indicate a birth.
As many of us know, our bakers
mark the sign Of cross upon the
dough before placing it in the oven
The reason for making this sign be-
comes plain when we know the origin
of the custom. Almost all our super
stitiOns about bread date back to
old pagan days. though they have been
greatly modified so as to conform to
Christian beliefs. With the ancient
Romans, the baking Of bread and cakes
was often invested with religious
Significance. especially the cakes Of
fered to the gods and goddesses. These
cakes were prepared in particular
way. and after being marked with the
symbol Of the deity in whose honor
they were offered, they were supposed
to possess supernatural virtues.
The old domestic practice was modl-
fed when Christianity became triumph
ant, and, in place of a pagan symbol.
the early Christian housewife not only
used to make the sign Of the cross
when she began to knead the dough.
but she marked that sign upon her loaf
before placing 1t 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, will bake all right, not
crack across the top etc.
Just as the Jews have Passover
cakes, and other peoples have had spe-
cially prepared food for their religious
festivals, SO Christians have cakes for
certain seasons. Our hot cross buns
on Good Friday are simply modern
representatives OF the cakes used ut
some old pagan festival. In days gone
by, the cakes and buns baked at Eas-
ter were supposed to possess great yir-
tue. Thus, 1t 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 certain kind of pancake
on Shrove Tuesday. The practice Is
referred to in "Alls Well That Ends
Well" where the clown speaks OF Il
pancake for Shrove Tuesday" In
"Pericles" they are called ''fiapjacks"-
a term still used In country districts.
In truth, to study the superstitions
about bread Is to take wide lesson
In folk lore. These superstitions relate
to the kneading trough, the oven, bak-
ers and bread For instance. in many
parts Of France the ''arche' or knead-
ing trough, Ii more than rude kitchen
utensll 1t is often pretty bit Of furnl-
ture NJ Sebillot, who has collected
many of the superstitions of the
French folk relative to bread, quotes
the story of thief who entered the
xx,iD1nxx, nf a housa with infant "a oop,
nit burglary. but refused to step on
the trough still containing the dough,
believing that to do so would be an
impety. 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 we'll
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 house.
wife 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 shut, and so Is the door: for IL
cat should enter the room the bread
would not rise. Certain charms of in
vocations are used to cause the bread
TO multiply itself. Thus. the peasant
housewife adjures the dough to imi-
tate the leaven. the wheat. the miller.
q
II 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 GER
tain places OF Brittany, for example,
1t Is dedicated with ceremonies; the
wood Is sprinkled with blessed water:
the proper heat is attested by the melt
ing OF a bottle. and, finally, an egg Is
broken for luck. Besides, there are