Christians have never believed The Eucharist was symbolic.
Christians have always known the Eucharist to be the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ himself.
Here we see that when Jesus appeared to his disciples they only recognized him through the breaking of the bread.
~~~~"he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him"
Luke 24:29 But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. 31 With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.
~~~~The short version is Jesus the "Lamb" of God and therefore as a Lamb consuming his body and blood is not cannibalism.
He was also the "Lamb" for the passover meal. Ever notice at the last supper they never mention the passover lamb? That's because it is Jesus, he is the lamb.
John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
~~~~The longer story, Jesus is the "Prefect" sacrifice. He is the Victim, The Priest and God. As the Victim he is the "Lamb". As the Priest he is making an atonement for our sins to God and as God he has mercy on us and forgives us.
In the Old Testament and the New, the wages of sin is death.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
So if you sinned you had to bring an unblemished lamb to the Priest and the lamb would die in your place (this is also where confession to a Priest comes from).
Leviticus 6:6 "Then he shall bring to the priest his guilt offering to the LORD, a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering,
Leviticus 6:7 and the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any one of the things which he may have done to incur guilt."
Leviticus 6:18 'Every male among the sons of Aaron may eat it; it is a permanent ordinance throughout your generations, from the offerings by fire to the LORD. Whoever touches them will become consecrated.'"
~~~~Now, for the passover lamb. Jewish tradition (Jesus was a Jew) the sacrificial lamb that was prepared for the passover meal was to be consumed completely by all who were present at one sitting.
Exodus 12:46 "It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it.
NOTE: Two important facts in the scripture.
1) "It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house" -- This is why we consume the Eucharist at Mass and we are not permitted to take it outside the Church (Except for the Sick).
2)"nor are you to break any bone of it" and notice -- John 19:33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
The tradition of sharing the Lamb is that if you and I were sitting there sharing the lamb we are bonded by it because you and I have the same lamb in us. So just like Jesus says in John 6:
John 6:56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
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