CZECH SLOVAK CUSTOM OF OFFERING

This tradition is still practiced in the Czech Republic (chléb a sůl), for special occasions, for example, when Presidents from other countries are visiting. It is not commonly practiced during daily life. They do actually eat bread quite often though, usually with butter and cheese or ham. Its very cheap but extremely tasty, especially when fresh , that is why it is served a lot at camps and school, as well as homes.
To offer bread with salt is an old and traditional Czech invitation ritual, a symbol of hospitality.

Czech bread is brown made usually from a mixture of wheat and ray flour. It has strong brown crust while having a supple crumb.

Bread and salt is mostly a Slavic welcome greeting ceremony in Polish, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Bulgarian, Macedonian nations and was also adopted by two non-Slavic nations "Lithuanians and Romanians", both of which culturally and historically are close to their Slavic neighbors.
See more info below about Bread and salt.
John Honner - producer Czech-American TV www.catvusa.com

This is pretty much true, however John was a young man during the communist times. The offering of salt and bread is a Christian tradition. Bread was considered a gift from God and bread baking had quite a ritual, ( making the sign of the cross in the dough) many times in the process. Most of the ladies of Czech ancestry cut a cross it the top of the bread as did the bakery ( Fred Janda ) for whom I worked for about 3 years as a kid. The salt ( usually blessed on Epiphany) was also offered as if you remember in the rite of baptism salt is dropped into the baby's mouth to preserve their soul. Thus bread ( gift from God ) blessed salt ( to preserve the soul ).

Alas this tradition has been left in the dust too.

Zaplat Pan Buh.

Larry

More Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_salt

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