19/02/2015
Hot cross buns are traditionally baked for lent, the 40 days before Easter. In the Christian tradition they start on Ash Wednesday, the day after Fat Tuesday. Their greatest day is Good Friday as they are served to commemorate Christ's suffering on the cross. However, the bun acquired mythical properties during the centuries, generally now forgotten. Early literature reveals that the hot cross bun was better known as the Good Friday Bun. Pepys referred to it in his diaries of 1666, and Boswell included it in his Diary for Good Friday in 1778.
The most famous story says the hot cross buns origins date to the 12th century when an Anglican monk was sent to have placed the sign of the cross on the buns to honor Good Friday.
Throughout history, the bun has received credit for special virtues, among them that of ensuring friendship between two people sharing a bun. An old rhyme states, "half for you and half for me, between us two good luck shall be".
Another tradition holds that a Good Friday bun should be kept hanging from the kitchen ceiling for one year to another to ward off evil spirits. Healing properties were also attributed to it. Gratings from a preserved bun were mixed with water to provide a cure for the common cold.
We recommend more delicious ways to eat the legendary treat: You can slice them, toast them, butter them! You can enjoy them for breakfast with strawberry or raspberry jam. Our freshly baked buns have been appreciated over the years. Call us for your orders...
