Or Pagan Moon Buns, As They Once Were…
“Give them to your daughters, Give them to your sons, One-a-penny, Two-a-penny Hot Cross Buns!” Now that our daughter is old enough, this song has plenty of meaning this year as I baked hot cross buns the whole month leading up to Easter. I vowed I would be stopping after Good Friday, mainly because I needed a break after.
The modern Christianised version of the hot cross bun (Representin’ Jesus on the Cross) became so popular in the Middle Ages that Queen Elizabeth I declared it illegal to bake them outside of Christmas and Good Friday, to preserve their sanctity. Thankfully, I live outside of her jurisdiction and the Tudor period so no problems there!
As with many seasonal themes, the hot cross bun is another originally pagan custom which was upcycled into Christianity. This four quadrant bun actually predates Christ and was supposed to depict the four phases of the moon.
The most important part of the hot cross bun making process is the leavening, or the yeast making the dough rise basically.
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As a result of which, your entry will repay your efforts. Take your sales; simply put, they will rise. Likewise your credibility. There’s every chance your competitors will wish they’d placed this entry, not you. While your customers will have probably forgotten that your competitors even exist. Which brings us, by a somewhat circuitous route, to another small point, but one which we feel should be raised.
