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Show Hot-Cross Bread. The old custom of marking a cross on bread accounted for its former use as a "charm cure" in various ailments, particularly toothache, and also for belief be-lief in its power to propitiate the elements. ele-ments. Until quite recent time Greek sailors took to sea small loaves, known aa St. Nicholas' bread, which they threw into the waves in time of storm. To this day the Russians seek to appease ap-pease the angry spirit of the White sea by offerings of bread. Another survival sur-vival of the old custom of making the sign of the crosa to ward off malign influences Is to be found in the housewife's house-wife's device to make the fire draw by placing a poker across the bars of the grate. It was believed that by thus "making the cross" all evil spirits would be banished from the hearth and home. : |