Challah wasn’t always the pretty braided sugary yeast bread we know today. In fact, it was completely different! So how did it get to where it is today? Well, in the 15th century, Jews developed an oval-shaped intertwined loaf. It didn’t have much sugar, and didn’t have any seeds, eggs, or decorations. It was a tradition to break off a piece of challah and offer it to priests. Eventually, the Jews adopted the braiding style of bread, and it became the most commonly used bread for Shabbat. Then, people started to decorate challah. They started adding seeds, and brushed egg over the top to give it shine. Challah on the table is covered with a decorative challah cover, or a white napkin to represent dewdrops on the bread. On Shabbat, we have a long bread, with a single braid in our challah. But on Rosh Hashana, we have a circular bread! Some people even make beautiful challahs with tons of braids and decorations! So challah has changed a lot from the bread that used to be plain, and now, the beautiful different styles of challah, with seeds, braids, circular, and many more!