Hello all -- I'm a brand new subscriber to this list. I'm looking for information about a specific tradition -- bread, salt & wine as a gift to a new home owner. Many years ago I read somewhere that an old custom is to take bread, salt & wine when visiting someone for the first time at their new home. There was a saying that went with the gift. It was something like: With this bread may your home never be without food. With this salt may....... With this wine may your home always be filled with good cheer. The above is just a wild guess. As you can see, I don't remember exactly what to say with the presentation of the gift. I know there is a very specific quote -- somewhere. 1. I checked the archives of this list and didn't find any info on the subject. 2. I have searched the web and found a Polish wedding tradition that includes a similar tradition of bread, salt & wine. And I have found biblical references. But nothing about a house warming gift. Can anyone out there provide me with the specific quote or saying suitable for a new home? Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving -- our great American tradition/custom. Regards, Phyllis in NJ
Hello & Welcome Phyllis, :-) It's nice to meet you. HUGS, Kath Here are a few variations of that lovely tradition. BREAD THAT THIS HOUSE MAY NEVER KNOW HUNGER SALT THAT LIFE WILL ALWAYS HAVE FLAVOR AND WINE THAT JOY AND PROSPERITY MAY RAIN FOREVER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Wedding Wish for You Woven here is a basket of wishes for you; for your life together throughout the years to come. Bread so you may never hunger, salt so your life will always have flavor, wine so joy and prosperity may reign forever, and a candle so you always know the glow of romance. (Fill the basket with a bread mix, salt, a bottle of wine and a small Yankee wedding candle, attach the poem). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wedding Poem or Housewarming Gift It is an ancient tradition that upon moving into a new home a family should be made welcome with these four earthly symbols: A Sponge that the house may always be clean. A Loaf of Bread that there may always be food upon the table. Sugar that there may be sweetness abounding, and Salt that there may be some spice in living. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The housewarming gift of Salt, Wine, and a loaf of bread symbolizes the following elements: Bread - "That this house may never know hunger." Salt - "That life may always have flavor." Wine - "That joy and prosperity may reign forever." >From the script of the film - "It's a Wonderful Life" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Hello all -- > > I'm a brand new subscriber to this list. I'm looking for information > about a specific tradition -- bread, salt & wine as a gift to a new home > owner. > > Many years ago I read somewhere that an old custom is to take bread, > salt & wine when visiting someone for the first time at their new home. > There was a saying that went with the gift. It was something like: > > With this bread may your home never be without food. > With this salt may....... > With this wine may your home always be filled with good cheer. > > The above is just a wild guess. As you can see, I don't remember > exactly what to say with the presentation of the gift. I know there is > a very specific quote -- somewhere. > > 1. I checked the archives of this list and didn't find any info on the > subject. > > 2. I have searched the web and found a Polish wedding tradition that > includes a similar tradition of bread, salt & wine. And I have found > biblical references. But nothing about a house warming gift. > > Can anyone out there provide me with the specific quote or saying > suitable for a new home? > > Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving -- our great American > tradition/custom. > > Regards, > > Phyllis in NJ