World Bread Day Date in the current year: October 16, 2024

Bread is one of the oldest prepared foods. It is possible that people used starch extract from the roots of plants to cook a primitive form of flatbread as early as 30,000 years ago. Grains became the mainstay of making bread with the dawn of Neolithic age. The ancient Egyptians are believed to be the first to use yeast to leaven the dough.

Bread is the staple food in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and in European-derived countries, whereas rice is the staple in East Asia. It is usually made from wheat, but bread can be also made from other cereals, including rye, barley, oats, maize, rice, millet, and sorghum. In many cuisines, there are traditional bread recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Since ancient times, bread has had a significance beyond mere nutrition in many cultures, where it is a metaphor for basic necessities and living conditions in general. In some religions, including Christianity and Judaism, bread is an important ritual element.

World Bread Day is celebrated on October 16 to commemorate the anniversary of the creation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). FAO was crated in 1945 to defeat hunger. Its has a Latin motto, Fiat panis, which is translated as “Let there be bread”. World Bread Day coincides with World Food Day.