The hot cross bun, a cherished Easter symbol in the UK and worldwide, carries a tale woven through centuries, shrouded in mystique and tradition. While its origins remain clouded in history’s fog, it is said that the journey of the hot cross bun begins in the 14th century at St Albans Abbey.
According to legend, Brother Thomas Rocliffe, a 14th-century monk, crafted the first spiced bun adorned with a cross to feed the poor on Good Friday, the end of Lent, giving birth to a tradition that would endure for generations.
While there are few written records or recipes, and the origins of the hot cross bun are uncertain, some maintain that we can trace its roots to the crossed bread that was made by the ancient Greeks, while ithers suggests that we might better look to the ancient Jewish custom of sharing unleavened bread (made without yeast) at Passover.
Across many cultures ordinary bread has long been made special, often with the addition of dried fruits or other sweeteners, to mark important festivals.Think of the dried-fruit-studded Panettone at Christmas or the Easter Colomba bread from Italy.
Some historians maintain that the hot cross bun dates back to pre-Christian times when special currant bread was baked in honour of the Saxon goddess of spring and fertility, Eostre. Eostre was a voluptuous blonde maiden, always depicted surrounded by little birds, bunnies and other baby animals, as well as spring flowers. https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-pagan-roots-of-easter.html
As spring arrived, the pagans would celebrate a month long festival of the transitioning time from winter entering into spring. Cross Buns were baked for the spring festival to celebrate this Goddess. The four quarters of the cross on top of each bun were said to represent the phases of the moon, while the cross itself symbolised rebirth after winter.
Eaten hot and perhaps dipped in a layer of honey, these sumptuous cakes were fitting for the hopefulness and abundance that comes with the change in seasons. it is from these Eostre celebrations that we even get the word Easter, and perhaps along with the hot cross bun, the holiday’s association with eggs and the Easter Bunny,
When Christianity became Britain’s main religion, pagan ways were banished – including those of Eostre. Leaders of the Christian faith soon realised they could incorporate the celebrations of Eostre into their own religion, which also featured a celebration of their own at a similar time of year.
Although the actual reasoning behind the Eostre celebrations wouldn’t be carried over to the Christian ways, the buns the pagans used were. The cross would now symbolise the cross Jesus was crucified upon, and not the four phases of the moon.The spices in hot cross buns are said to represent the spices that were used to embalm Christ after his death. Early Christians also believed the cross kept away evil spirits and helped the dough rise.
Ancient Egyptians used small round breads topped with crosses to celebrate the gods. Later, Greeks and Romans offered similar sweetened rolls in tribute to Eos, the goddess of the morning, and to Eostre, the goddess of light, who lent her name to the Easter observances. The cross on top symbolized the horns of a sacrificial ox. The English word bun is a derivation of the Greek word for ceremonial cakes and breads, boun.
In the Middle Ages, home bakers marked their loaves with crosses before baking. They believed the cross would ensure a successful bake, warding off the evil spirits that inhibit the bread from rising. This superstition gradually faded, except for marking Good Friday loaves and hot cross buns, only to be replaced by another one.
This time the loaves and buns were hung from the ceiling like sausages. It was believed that the bread would never mold and would provide protection against evil spirits and illness until the following Good Friday when the loaves and buns would be replaced.
In the event of illness, a portion of bread could be removed from its string and crushed to a powder, which was incorporated into water for therapeutic effect. During the same period, Jews hung bread and a container of water from the ceiling to ward off cholera. They believed its power was so strong that one loaf in one house would protect the community.
Spiced buns were banned when the English broke ties with the Catholic Church in the 16th century.People who disobeyed this law could be punished and sent to prison. However, by 1592, Queen Elizabeth I relented and granted permission for commercial bakers to produce the buns for funerals, Christmas, and Easter. They were considered sacred and confiscated from anyone caught baking them at home and then given to the poor.
By the 18th century, English street vendors sold “hot cross buns” on Good Friday. witnessing its rise to prominence in London’s food scene. This period saw the bun becoming a fixture of the capital’s culinary landscape, celebrated in nursery rhymes and literature, symbolising the city’s bustling street life and diverse culinary offerings. In Britain, people exchanged hot cross buns with friends on Good Friday and said, “Half for you and half for me, between us two good luck shall be”.
The hot cross bun’s fame was not confined to the British Isles; it spread across the globe, carried by the winds of colonialism and trade, adapting to new cultures and tastes.
Soon,some people believed these Good Friday buns had magical powers. Some hung them from kitchen rafters, believing they would never go mouldy. They kept them for protection against evil or illness. If someone felt sick, they crumbled part of an old hot cross bun into water, hoping it would cure them. Others placed buns in their grain stores to keep pests away. These beliefs might sound odd today, but they were part of daily life for many.
Who doesn’t love Hot Cross buns? When you smell a fresh batch of these buns, you’re sharing an experience people enjoyed centuries ago. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Saxons, medieval monks and 18th-century street sellers all had their versions of spiced, crossed bread. Each group gave the buns its own meaning, from honouring pagan gods to celebrating Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Have just had 4 sweet and sticky dough buns, with lashings of butter, and a few chilly flakes,very filling and tasty. Happy Easter/ Pasg Hapus.Spare a thought for those suffering in Palestine who are denied food, water and safe shelter
There’s a school playground rhyme about Hot Cross Buns, sung while clapping in time to the rhythm of the words. A childhood favourite for generations. And it goes like this:
“Hot Cross Buns! Hot Cross Buns! One and penny, two a penny,
Hot Cross Buns! If you haven’t got a daughter, give them to your sons.
One a penny, two a penny Hot Cross Buns!”
Excerpted from The Bread Baker’s Guild “Breadlines”
thank you for this much appreciated,
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