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Legend of The Hot Cross Bun One a penny, two a penny, hot cross bunsFrom the first day of Lent and during the six weeks that lead up to Easter, many bakeries and homes bake hot cross buns. A traditional favourite on Good Friday in Australia, Hot Cross Buns are a spicy currant or raisin studded yeast bun, topped with a Cross of lemon flavored icing. While Christians have adopted the cake and the symbolism of the cross, it wasn't always so. Hot Cross Buns were probably originally used in ceremonies and rituals and the Christian Church attempted to ban the buns, but they proved too popular. Left with no alternative but defeat, the church did the next best thing and Christianised the bread with Queen Elizabeth I passing a law which limited the bun=s consumption to proper religious ceremonies, such as Christmas, Easter or funerals. They are generally only served during the Lenten season, preserving their Christian significance. Yet they are probably the outgrowth of the ancient pagan sacramental cakes. Small cakes were baked and offered to goddesses at the beginning of spring in a number of ancient cultures including the Assyrians, Babylonians and Egyptians. The goddess being honoured was Ishtar, or Hathor, the goddess of the moon, associated with fertility and renewal. These cakes were marked with a curved shape representing the horns of an ox, the animal connected with the moon. The Greeks and Romans also made cakes for their moon goddesses, and again marked them with ox horns. In fact, it is thought that the Greek word for these cakes, boun, meaning ox, may have given us our word bun. Soon, Europe was full of variations on these little buns to mark the start of spring and they eventually ended up in Britain via the pagan cultures of northern Europe. Hot cross buns were originally eaten by the Anglo-Saxons in honour of their Goddess, Eostre. So what about the cross? Well, it seems that the pagan cross, long used to represent the four phases of the moon, was the symbol of choice for the Saxons wanting to honour their goddess so they marked their wheaten buns accordingly. Another explanation fro the cross could be that it represents the sun wheel, which was a sacred symbol to all Germanic peoples, and in perfect balance at the time of the Spring Equinox.When the Christians gained a firm foothold in Britain, their leaders banned the pagan Easter rite, and it was not until 782 CE that some of these rites were incorporated into Christian ones. The cross on the buns conveniently echoed the traditional Christian Cross and the Easter festival became dominated by Christian traditions, the original pagan rites slowly sliding into obscurity. Nowadays, we all associate hot cross buns with Good Friday, and it is said that if made on this day they will never grow moldy. The similarities in Easter Breads throughout European cultures is quite remarkable. They are yeast-based, slightly sweet and enriched with eggs and dried fruit. Some, like the Russian kulich, the Greek tsoureki and the Italian columba, are single large loaves or cakes, whilst others are made into little individual buns. |
 | Here is a special Easter treat that's JELLO EASTER EGGS | |
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6 2 1 1 2c | large eggs envelopes unflavored gelatin 3-oz pkg. fruit-flavored gelatin water | |
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To prepare egg shells, use large needle to pierce wide end of egg. Tap with needle to make a hole one-half inch wide. Stick needle into egg and break yolk. Empty eggs into bowl, carefully rinse inside of shells and let dry thoroughly. Combine unflavored gelatin and fruit flavored gelatin in mixing bowl. Add boiling water and stir until dissolved. Let cool 10 minutes. Using a measuring cup, carefully pour gelatin mixture into egg shells, then place in egg carton with hole side up. Refrigerate until firm, 5 hours or overnight. To peel, remove outer shell first, then the membrane. For easier peeling quickly dip chilled egg (with the shell) into bowl of warm water before peeling.
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