Wedding traditions with salt

Salt is a small, humble thing with a big role. It preserves, seasons and protects, and in many cultures to share bread and salt is to make a bond of hospitality. At weddings it can be a welcome, a test or a ward.

Bread and salt

In Poland, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, the couple is greeted by parents with a loaf and salt, and the bride and groom take a bite, and the one who takes the larger bite is said to rule the house. In Slavic and Balkan areas the same welcome is offered to guests of honour. In Jewish custom bread is dipped in salt at the start of a meal, and some couples are greeted with bread and salt in the Ashkenazi world.

Salt as test and ward

In Turkey the bride may serve the groom coffee with salt in it during the visit to ask for her hand, to see how he responds. In Scotland and Ireland, salt was placed in a bride's pocket against bad luck, and in Italy a custom has the bride carry salt or sugar. Salt is also used in the Chinese and Japanese worlds to purify.