What did your parents refrigerate? Mine refrigerated bread.

Keeping bread in the fridge is generally considered unwise because it accelerates the staling process. This occurs due to the process of retrogradation, where the starches in the bread crystallise more quickly at cooler temperatures. As a result, bread becomes dry and loses its freshness faster compared to being stored at room temperature. For optimal freshness, it's better to store bread in a cool, dry place or freeze it if long-term storage is needed.