Bread has had a huge impact on every facet of life. Bread can be traced to be held responsible for the development of society. Once it was discovered that grain could be ground to make bread, an agricultural society developed. When agriculture took hold this freed time to devote to other trades. This could ultimately be responsible for the building of cities. Bread is so important that it has long been considered the symbol of life. In ancient Egypt bread was even put into tombs to provide food for eternity to the mummies that were contained. Bread has also been considered as a metaphor for all of the food we eat. In ancient times, bread meant that you had a good meal; this symbolizes life. An argument could also be made to the fact that bread contains living elements, such as yeast. Bread has even had a relationship with political society. In a barter system, bread was used as a form of payment. During the middle ages in Europe, bread was used to keep the peace; it was necessary to make sure that there was enough bread for everyone because during these times everyone was worried about hunger. During this time there were also strict rules about weight and quality for bakers. These laws were so harsh that bakers could be put to death if they were found cheating the public. This resulted in the bakers dozen in which there are thirteen rather than twelve. This was an insurance measure. Bread and beer also has a special relationship. Beer has long been considered liquid bread. In fact, bread can be seen as responsible for the invention of beer. The process of making beer is just a step further from making bread. It could be said that making bread was a stepping stone to figuring out how to make beer. Bread also has a great holiday presence. For example, hot cross buns are an English Christian tradition during the Easter holiday in which the symbol of the cross is held to be important. In the Jewish tradition, hallah bread is common on the Sabbath; when this bread is made a peace is set aside as an offering to God. Today, bread is often the forst thing to the table as it is a symbol of being welcome. Homemade bread is unnecessary in modern society. However, many people still make their own bread for a myriad of reasons including an expression of love.
