The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

Custom

Greetings:

Offering salt and bread and flowers is a way of greeting a person who has arrived from a long trip. This custom is one which was performed commonly in S.E. Poland and in Ukraine many years ago (prior to WWI) at that time it was used to greet any traveler regardless of his social position. Now recently it is used only in greeting people like priests, bishops, government officials, etc.

Submitter comment:

Although informant mentioned that this custom is carried out in Europe, I myself have observed this several months ago when people in a Ukrainian church greeted a bishop which had just been released from prison by the Russians.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN HEIGHTS

Keyword(s): CUSTOM ; FLOWERS ; GREETING ; POLAND ; Salt, Bread ; Social Class ; Ukraine