Bread and salt
The tradition is known locally by its Slavic names, all literal variants of "bread and salt": Belarusian: хлеб і соль, Bulgarian: хляб и сол, Czech: chléb a sůl, Macedonian: леб и сол, Polish: chleb i sól, Russian: хлеб-соль, Serbo-Croatian: хлеб и со, hlȅb i so, Slovak: chlieb a soľ, Slovene: kruh in sol, Ukrainian: хліб і сіль.
It is shared with some of the neighbouring non-Slavic peoples—the Latvians and Lithuanians (both Baltic nations), Romanians (Romance), as well as the Finno-Ugric Karelians and Estonians—all of whom are culturally and historically close to their Slavic neighbours: Karelian: leipä-šuola, Estonian: soolaleivapidu, Latvian: sālsmaize, Lithuanian: duona ir druska, Romanian: pâine și sare.
It is also common in Albania (Albanian: bukë, kripë e zemër), Armenia (Armenian: աղ ու հաց, agh u hats), Turkey (Turkish: tuz-ekmek hakkı), among the Jewish diaspora (Hebrew: לחם ומלח, lecham umlach), and within parts of the Middle East under different names.
Bread and salt as a traditional greeting is shared with some non-Slavic nations—Lithuanians, Latvians (both Baltic), Romanians (Romance) as well as some Finno-Ugric peoples like the Karelians—all of which are culturally and historically close to their Slavic neighbours.
Heart in the context is related with hospitality, the concept is based on giving the most expensive thing of that time which was salt to the awaited guest.
When important, respected, or admired guests arrive, they are presented with a loaf of bread (usually a korovai) placed on a rushnyk (embroidered ritual cloth).
On official occasions, the "bread and salt" is usually presented by young women dressed in national costumes (e.g., sarafan and kokoshnik).
The tradition gave rise to the Russian word that expresses a person's hospitality: khlebosolny (literally: "bready-salty").
In Russian weddings, it is a traditional custom for the bride and groom to be greeted after the ceremony by family, usually the matriarch, with bread and salt in an embroidered cloth.
A common scene from that period was of a Bulgarian village woman welcoming Russian soldiers with bread and salt as a sign of gratitude.
The notable Macedonian and ex-Yugoslav ethno-jazz-rock group of the world music guitarist Vlatko Stefanovski had the name "Leb i Sol", which means "bread and salt" and speaks itself about this term of hospitality as something basic and traditional.
As in the neighbouring Slavic countries, bread and salt is a traditional Romanian custom expressing hospitality, showing that the guest is welcomed.
[9][10] The traditional bread, pogača, is a symbol of family unity and goodness, and salt prosperity and security for the guest.
[11] The long-tradition of the Slovakia and the Czech Republic as Slavic countries is to welcome important visits with bread and salt.
[12] In Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, bread and salt were traditionally given as a symbol of blessing for a new home.
In Muş it is believed that a girl who eats salted bread during Hıdrellez and does not drink water before going to bed will dream of her soulmate.
Violating the guest right is widely considered among the highest moral crimes, an affront worthy of the worst damnation, rivaled only by kinslaying.
Game of Thrones, the associated television series, prominently features the tradition in season three, episode 9, "The Rains of Castamere".
In The Ballad of East and West, leavened bread and salt is mentioned as binding an oath of blood brothership.
In The Solar War, the first book belonging to Black Library's The Siege of Terra series, the character Malcador the Sigillite offers bread and salt to a weary Emperor of Mankind.
