Aside from our delicious output of artisanal, locally sourced baked goods, we here at A Bread Affair are also proud to provide our curious customers with information regarding our products as well as the culture that surrounds baked goods in general. While we try and keep the majority of our posts somewhat educational, sometimes it is important to break the norm and get a little weird. Taking that into consideration, we have compiled a list of superstitions around the world that revolve around bread. Yes, bread. While this may initially seem like a very niche mode of inquiry, the reality is that baked goods have played an important role in cultures around the world (even outside of Granville Island) for thousands of years. Sure, Halloween is over, and sure, bread really doesn’t live up to the horror standards set by Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, but these factors really don’t matter. What matters is that these superstitions have been alive and well for a very long time, so attempting to learn more about them may be a very wise choice. You never know what may come crawling out of the pantry while you sleep…
Preparing Bread:
-Women have traditionally played a large role in the preparation and baking of bread for hundreds of years. Along with this association comes a number of intriguing myths. These include one that urges young men to keep away from a woman kneading dough. Why? Well, if she happens to touch the gentleman’s face, he will never be able to grow a beard. This old French fable has never been outright disproven, so keep away from mom in the kitchen unless you plan on having baby-like features for your entire life!
-The Scottish have always been big fans of singing during meal preparation. These musical tendencies don’t extend to the bakery, however, as superstition states that vocalizing during the baking process is something that invokes bad luck. And the DEVIL. So maybe keep the Beyonce tunes to yourself next time you toss a focaccia into the oven.
Serving Bread:
-Breaking bread is an important ritual within many religions, especially when it comes to the first loaf of a batch. While serving, if one happens to break the bread while slicing it at the same time, the person responsible can expect to face a number of unfortunate circumstances, such as a death in the family or falling piano (disclaimer: probably not the last one).
-Hollows within a fresh batch of bread can be seen as a good or bad omen. Some cultures interpret it as a sign of life, insinuating that a woman in the family is soon to be pregnant. Others see the indentation as bearing more resemblance to a coffin or grave.
-Like living in absolute poverty? Perfect, time to start serving bread on a knife. A number of European and Middle Eastern sects view this as a travesty that will result in the offender’s descent into financial hardship.
Bread in General:
-In the United States, many associate bread baked on religious holidays with good fortune. If it came fresh from the oven on Christmas or Good Friday, you may want to hold onto it for lucks’ sake.
-Defying all logic, a ‘baker’s dozen’ actually refers to the importance of including one extra loaf in every dozen that enters the oven. Why? Because of the devil, that’s why! Be sure to include a 13th loaf for him, or else all sorts of awful things will start to happen.
We hope the following guide has been entertaining and informative. If you plan on baking at home, or treating guests, we highly recommend that you consult it, or else! Alternately, you can avoid any possible bad omens by purchasing your baked good directly from us! We promise that every one of our pastries and breads comes 100 percent curse free.
