Welcome to yet another guide to the secrets of our dreams! Today, we deal with a very interesting symbol: bread. While we may think of bread as the most plain food in existence, the symbolism connected to bread is very rich. Bread is a powerful symbol in Christianity, but not only. It exists basically in every culture in the world.
So what exactly does it mean when you dream about bread? Today’s guide is dedicated to uncovering this sacred.
The General Symbolism of Bread in Dreams
The meaning of bread in your dream can depend a lot on the overall situation in the dream. One always has to think about context and how all of the objects that appear in your dream fit together. However, there are still some general meanings we can connect to bread in dreams.
First of all, we can think of bread as the basic means of subsistence. In that sense, bread is simply a symbol of food (see also What Does Food Mean In A Dream?), and with that of fertility, of nurturing, of simple but ever so important comforts of life. This is why bread can often represent feeling at home, feeling at ease, the feeling of comfort. It can also be a symbol of good luck and abundance.
However, sometimes when we dream about bread it can indicate we are actually lacking all of these things. You might be feeling anxious and at risk, perhaps unsure about the future. Your dream could be telling you what you are craving is more stability in life and the feeling of being taken care of.
In general, though, bread in dreams is a good sign. It usually indicates all the good things about interpersonal relationships. There must be something good you are doing or you can expect life to flow more easily in the future.
On the other hand, bread is also connected with working for a living – “earning your loaf of bread”. Even if interpreted in this way, bread in dreams is still a good sign, but it might mean you are going to have to work hard in order to reap the rewards.
What Can Psychology Tell Us About Dreaming of Bread?
When we talk about psychology and dreams, we usually turn to the psychologists who have focused on dreams specifically (most notable of which are Freud and Jung). However, this time we might look at a different theory: the motivational theory of Abraham Maslow.
You must have at least heard about this theory which is indeed very popular and you’ve probably seen it in the form of a pyramid. That’s Maslow’s so-called pyramid of needs. Maslow distinguished between 3 types of needs every human has: basic needs, psychological needs, and self-fulfilment needs.
The basic needs are those that we need to fulfill in order to simply function as biological organisms. On the first and most basic level are physiological needs – the needs for food, water, and rest. When these needs are not fulfilled, there is simply no chance for us to grow as human beings and reach new horizons.
This is how we can understand the two-fold meaning of bread. On one hand, it indicates our most basic needs that need to be met in order to do anything else in life. If we don’t have food and warmth and enough rest, we will simply always feel destabilized. So the bread in dreams can mean we are feeling comfortable or that we are lacking essential blocks to start building the foundations of our life.
Bread in Christianity and Judaism
Bread has been the most basic food in many cultures for thousands of years. Basically, since wheat was first cultivated. Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise us that bread actually features prominently in the Bible and that it’s a significant symbol in both Christianity and Judaism
In the Old Testament unleavened bread (also called matzah or matzo) is often mentioned and plays a prominent role. This is still a prominent staple of Jewish cuisine and one that is always eaten during Passover celebrations.
Here is the verse from the book of Deuteronomy describing the significance of bread:
“Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt.” – Deuteronomy 16:3
Besides, every member of Christian faith and pretty much anyone knows that bread symbolises the Christ’s body in church rituals and prayers.
Different Types of Bread in Dreams
Bread is quite a regular food and one might think, at first sight, there is not so much to it (see also What Does Cake Mean In A Dream?). However, we all know there are many different types of bread. The characteristics of the bread you were dreaming of can actually point you to the right interpretation of your dream.
White Bread
Some dream dictionaries say that white bread in dreams means you will find new friends that will be good for your personal development. Eating regular white bread that is fresh is an especially good sign. It means your body will be healthy and you will have enough strength to face the everyday struggles of life.
Fancy Bread
By ‘fancy’ we mean anything out of the ordinary. It also depends on what ordinary and fancy means for you in terms of bread. However, it is one thing to dream about ordinary toast bread and the like and quite another to dream about a fancy variety of bread. It might be a high-quality whole-grain loaf or a pretty baguette. In any case, fancier bread than you are used to in your dreams indicates you need to get a new job or accept any new opportunities that are given to you in life.
Old Bread or Moldy Bread
When you dream about bread that is old or moldy this is usually not a good sign. Old bread can be a symbol of disease and of all kinds of problems, especially in interpersonal relationships. In old dream dictionaries moldy bread was always interpreted as a sign of sickness.
Bread Not Made of Wheat
Sometimes, in our dreams, we will dream of strange breads. One common trope is bread made of mud. However, it doesn’t have to be that weird. After all, we encounter all sorts of fancy breads these days that are made of anything but wheat.
However, when the bread in your dream is made of something that is not that common, this is a sign of complications. A complicated time in your life is coming. You might not be sure what’s good for you and what’s bad. You need to be careful not to mistake a foe for a friend.
In general, if you see anything out of the ordinary when it comes to bread in your dream, it can complicate the interpretation. If you see bread of a strange color, consider also the dream symbolism of this color.
Whole-grain bread, sourdough bread, and darker bread in general can be a sign of difficulties. Just like this bread can be tougher to chew, you might have more trouble getting ahead in life. However, bread is still a sign of good things to come, you just might have to work a bit harder to achieve them.
When you dream of unleavened bread or any kind of flat bread it could mean something will turn out flat. Perhaps you were expecting a project to ‘rise’ but it just ain’t happening. This might be for the best, though, since the symbolism of bread is usually good despite the small negativities.
What Does It Mean to Dream of Buying a Loaf of Bread?
Buying bread is one common theme in dreams about bread. We might think here about the act of buying. It is a transaction that happens between two people, and seeing this in our dreams might be pointing to the fact that we need communication and interaction with others in order to get ahead in life. This is a symbol of our relationships with other people and with society and all the ways we need those in order to sustain ourselves. You might think you can do everything on your own, but this is simply not true. Everyone needs support.
When you dream about buying bagels it is a sign of abundance. You have a comfortable and sheltered life. You should be aware of your blessings and enjoy them while you can.
Other Dream Tropes Involving Bread
Eating Bread
When you dream you are eating bread, this is a sign of good things to come. Expect an increase in abundance. You might incur more wealth and power in the near future than you have dreamed of.
In older dream dictionaries, special attention has been paid to situations when a woman dreams of eating a piece of bread. According to traditional lore, this foretells pregnancy or taking care of children in the future.
Offering Bread to Others
Offering bread to others is always a sign of generosity. Cutting a slice of bread and offering it to someone indicates confidence.
Making Bread in a Dream
This is an interesting one. While we might have good feelings in our dream when we are making tasty bread that comes out warm from the oven, traditional dream dictionaries usually say it’s a bad sign. Sorry to break this to you, but according to traditional lore, making bread in a dream is a sign that you will experience hunger in the future.
This is not necessarily the only interpretation of such dreams, though. Especially if you’ve been making bread in waking life or have some personal memories connected to making bread, you might want to think about those to find out the meanings you, personally, might connect to making bread.
What Can Older Dream Dictionaries Tell Us About Bread?
Especially during the 1920s, dream dictionaries were all the vogue. These interpretations used to be often very harsh and one-sided though. They did not take into consideration all the specificities of individual people and the context of the dream.
However, it could be fun to go over those interpretations. Take them with a grain of salt, though! So what did bread mean in these old dictionaries?
Well, first of all, moldy bread was a sign of enemies that are trying to catch you. Dreaming of rotten bread meant your luck could turn. Fresh bread means you have good and reliable friends, old bread means you are feeling tired. Bread of a darker color predicts someone will come to you for help.
Final Thoughts
As you have seen, dreams about bread can get very interesting! We love interpreting those dreams because bread is a very old symbol, but also usually a positive one. Plus, it can appear in any number of situations which can be fun to interpret. Have you been dreaming about bread? Did we cover what you have seen in your dream in this interpretation? Let us know either way!
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