Salt and culture

Virtually every culture has customs and traditions relating to salt. Oft-repeated quotes display salt’s pervasive effect (for example: “salt of the Earth” and “with a grain of salt”). Traditional etiquette often prescribes sharing salt to display friendship or hospitality. Stories, fables, folktales and fairy tales teach young and old alike social norms and values. Some cultures ascribe magical power to salt. Artists use salt as a creative medium. Professional jargon often employs “salt” references or has symbols to represent salt.

Salt has played a vital part in religious ritual in many cultures, symbolizing immutable, incorruptible purity. There are more than 30 references to salt in the Bible, owing to the cultural significance of salt in Jewish culture.