"Hot cross buns, Hot cross buns, / One a penny, two a penny, / Hot cross buns. If you have no daughters, give them to your sons. One a penny two a penny, Hot cross buns!"  

There was a time in ancient England when vendors could be heard singing this clichéd marketing jig while selling Easter breads to children on the streets.

Easter Hot cross buns trace their origin to early English Easter traditions. These yummy spicy, fruity or sweet buns are generally topped with some form of whipped cream.  These buns are generally partaken of on Good Friday.

The concept of drawing a cross on a bun goes back to pre-medieval customs. Grandmothers and mammas would bake homemade breads and cakes and draw a cross on top with whipped cream. These were served to sailors and others who left home to work in faraway lands. They were considered as blessed and auspicious.

These breads also have pagan traditions. It is well known that similar spiced buns were baked during spring time in honor of the Anglo-Saxon deity Eostre. In fact Pagans lay a lot by spring festivities. The spring equinox was very important for pagans. Celebrations heralded spring after a long and harsh winter. Most celebrated the fact that they lasted through the vagaries of cold and are well and ready to enjoy the fruits of spring.

The earliest type of hot cross buns was made of bread dough stuffed with nuts. These when baked were cut into loafs that were garnished with cream. These buns were generally made in monasteries and monks would make the cross on the breads as form of divine blessing.

Romans and Greeks are also known to have baked spicy spring cakes and breads. So the custom of baking special stuff on spring was not novel.

Over the years it became a custom to serve ‘hot cross buns' as part of breakfast on Good Friday mornings. After the 1730's these buns were no longer exclusive. In the sense that street vendors started selling these on the streets!

Make this Easter Special

Now that you know and understand the history of hot cross buns. Make this Easter special for family and friends. Bake spicy buns stuffed with nuts and dried fruits. Make crosses on top of these buns with whipped cream. Make these blessed goodies for your kids. Fill Easter baskets with candies, hot cross buns, and tea bags. Your friends are sure to love the traditional gift. It kind of gets people reminiscing about the true significant of the festival. And the fact that religious symbols such as these are an integral part of our beliefs and way of life. Baking or buying ‘hot cross buns' on Easter is a way to keep these ancient traditions and beliefs alive.