Welcoming with bread and salt – a relic or a current tradition?

The oldest wedding tradition is the welcoming of the Bride and Groom by the Parents in front of the wedding hall.

I remember when I was a child, I attended my cousin’s wedding. It was held at her house, and when I think about it now, I can’t help but smile. Of course, there was the welcoming by the Parents, and as a child, I didn’t really understand why they were eating bread and smashing glasses at the entrance to the house. My mom, trying to explain why “they were doing that,” simply said: “It’s our Polish tradition.” And it’s this tradition I would like to reflect on.

photo by vascoimages.pl

Personally, I believe that besides the tradition, it is a beautiful and touching moment. The Bride and Groom, along with their Parents, have just finished the most important ceremony, the wedding. Now they can relax a bit and welcome their two children as a married couple in front of the hall.

Whenever I approach the Parents with bread to hand it to them, I often see a look of panic in their eyes, and the questions pop up, “What should I say?”, “Who should hold the bread?”

According to tradition, the mothers should hold the bread, and if one of them is missing, the godmother can take her place.

Parents usually choose to give spontaneous wishes combined with the traditional phrase:

“We welcome you with bread and salt, so that you may never run out of bread and salt in life.”

Or they may ask you:

“Bride, what do you choose? Bread, salt, or the Groom?”

You should answer: “I choose bread, salt, and the Groom so that he can work for it.”

The bread is often beautifully decorated with flowers made from dough. The Bride and Groom should tear off a piece of the bread.

To avoid any surprises, we can’t let the bread slip from the Parents’ hands. Dwór Afrodyta prepares small rings cut out from bread. They are easier to swallow, and you won’t have to wrestle with a loaf of bread.

Along with the bread, there must be glasses filled with vodka and water. You decide first which glass to choose. According to tradition, whoever picks the vodka will be the one to lead in the marriage. The one who gets the water will be submissive in the relationship.

Oddly enough, it almost always happens that the Bride gets the vodka. After drinking, you should throw the glasses over your right shoulder without looking back. If the glasses break, it symbolizes happiness and love. If the glasses don’t break, the Groom’s best man should crush them underfoot. My advice here: choose glasses made of thin glass to ensure they will definitely break.

photo by bnb-studioblog.pl

The final decision on how these rituals will proceed is up to you and your Parents. However, don’t forget to inform the coordinator about all the details, as their support will be invaluable.

The author of this post is Joanna Oporska, operations manager of Dwór Afrodyta**** and event coordinator.

photos: private archive