A Delicious Time of Year

With the arrival of Easter in just over a week, hot cross buns are sitting on my shelf waiting to be devoured. As I am eating my delicious bun slathered in peanut butter, I think to myself: "What is the meaning of the cross on the bun?" Here I am, just trying to scarf down something before I delve into my last term essay and I am questioning something totally irrelevant. Now my source isn't exactly the best one, i.e. Wikipedia, but they do serve a somewhat valid history (which I found on my other Internet searches) Wikipedia says:

"In many historically Christian countries, buns are traditionally eaten hot or toasted on Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of the Crucifixion. They are believed by some to pre-date Christianity, although the first recorded use of the term "hot cross bun" was not until 1733; it is believed that buns marked with a cross were eaten by Saxons in honour of the goddess Eostre (the cross is thought to have symbolized the four quarters of the moon); "Eostre" is probably the origin of the name "Easter". Others claim that the Greeks marked cakes with a cross, much earlier."

This makes sense, as they are generally served at Easter and Christmas. Two holidays based around Christianity and Christ. As I read on it said:

"According to cookery writer Elizabeth David, Protestant monarchs saw the buns as a dangerous hold- over of Catholic belief in England, being baked from the dough used in making the communion wafer. Protestant England attempted to ban the sale of the buns by bakers but they were too popular, and i nstead Elizabeth I passed a law permitting bakeries to sell them, but only at Easter and Christmas."

It's quite fascinating how one bun, with a certain aesthetic can have such a large effect on certain groups. Being in an English class based on literature in the Age of Elizabeth I we are learning quite heavily the issues between the Protestants and Catholic church. Well there you have it, the hot cross bun holds a great meaning and has been eaten every year for centuries. Who knew a food product could be so historical? Enjoy my fellow readers, as it is hard to find them anytime after Easter is done.