Why did Van Lam's mother bring bread and salt to the airport to pick up her son?

After a long time of training and competing in Vietnam, goalkeeper Dang Van Lam finally had time to return home to visit his family. The player with Vietnamese-Russian blood had a 10-day vacation away from football to be with his family. Notably, after 2 years, Van Lam was able to see his mother.

To welcome her eldest son, Mrs. Jukova Olga prepared many nutritious dishes, including one that she personally brought to the airport for Van Lam.

The Russian mother brought a large, round loaf of bread, placed on a white towel. On top was a small jar of salt. This is one of the specialties of the land of birch trees, especially for welcoming guests from far away or children who have been away from home for a long time. The goalkeeper's mother also wanted to help her son ward off bad luck from the outside, like a "cleansing" ritual.

Not just a dish, bread and salt has become a traditional ritual in Russian culture called Khleb-sol, in which khleb means bread and sol means salt. When there are distinguished guests at home, the host will prepare a large, round, puffy karavai bread. Many places also add embossed shapes such as flowers, tree branches, ropes... to make it more lively.

The loaf of bread must be placed on a traditional rushnyk embroidered handkerchief and not held directly by hand. A small salt shaker is also indispensable. The guest will break off a small piece of bread with his hand, dip it in salt and eat it before entering the house. On special occasions, the host also wears ancient costumes such as sarafan and kokoshnik hats.

Bread and salt is a traditional Russian dish for returning children and distinguished guests.

In Russian folklore, bread and salt symbolize material prosperity and physical health. The host brings these two dishes out to greet guests at the door with deep affection to welcome the honored guest to visit the house.

From ancient times to the present, no meal in Russia was complete without bread. Therefore, bread was considered sacred. Salt was a luxury in those days.

Russia is a cold country and does not have much salt resources. Therefore, salt is very expensive and only rich people can afford to buy it. Nowadays, salt is not as rare as before but it is still used to entertain distinguished guests.

The Russians also have a saying: "A united effort eats a whole pood of salt" (a pood is a unit of measurement in Russia, equivalent to more than 16 kg), implying that if we are united, we can overcome difficulties together.

Although an ancient custom, the tradition of welcoming guests with bread and salt in Russia is becoming more and more famous. Many high-ranking world leaders when coming to Russia are welcomed by girls wearing traditional costumes with bread and salt. All sports delegations attending the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia were also welcomed with this unique dish.

Not only used in formal ceremonies, bread and salt are also used in modern weddings in Russia. The bride and groom bring bread to invite both parents and break a piece of bread together, dip it in salt, implying that they are ready to go through the bitter and sweet together.

Vinh Hoang