People in Vidzeme say that all paths in yard should be clean, so that the Happiness would see where it goes and would not fall. The path to the barn where flour for baking bread is usually stored should be particularly clean. It is stored in a box with a cover - there is grain in one box, flour in another one, fine flour is kept in a sack. People in Vidzeme usually used this flour for baking a flat cake and it was usually baked on Saturdays. The ready rye bread is put in a hod and covered with a bread cloth.
Green cabbage leaves are laid under a flat bread when it is ready. In winter cabbage leaves are replaced with maple leaves. Flat bread and rye bread gains particularly nice aroma from maple leaves.
A "spike" is drawn on bread by fingers before baking it.
Flat bread is eaten with butter, cottage cheese and milk.
If bread falls on ground it should be kissed.
Before a loaf is cut the Cross is drawn over it, then an end is cut off and kissed.
When the first bread was baked from the new rye harvest, one "Good Luck" loaf is placed in the corn-bin. Only the landlord and landlady should eat it to ensure that there is always enough bread at home.
Everybody keeps total silence when eating new bread. Prior to eating bread usually a verse is cited.
"God, give us satiety and peace! Bear's strength, mosquito's intestine, lightness of hop..."
Then eaters would be strong as a bear, they would eat little as a mosquito and be light as hop.
