Plural form of challah, the traditional braided or twisted loaf of bread used in Jewish Sabbath and holiday meals.
From Hebrew חלה (challa), which originally meant a portion of dough separated as an offering to priests in ancient Jewish practice. The word entered English through Yiddish and Hebrew religious traditions, maintaining its original meaning while now referring primarily to the festive bread itself.
The braiding pattern in challah isn't just decorative—it originally represented the twelve loaves presented in the ancient Temple as a sacred offering. Today, families continue a 3,000-year-old tradition of braiding without realizing they're recreating an ancient religious ceremony!
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