The History of Hot Cross Buns
A popular Easter-time treat across much of the world, the hot cross bun is traditionally a sweet, spiced bun with a cross decorating the top. Whilst there are many stories regarding the history of hot cross buns, one, in particular, seems to be generally accepted. Once called “Good Friday Buns,” it is believed that a twelfth-century monk baked the sweet buns and decorated them on the top with the cross in remembrance of Jesus’ death.
Over time, the buns grew in popularity – so much so that Queen Elizabeth the First of England in the late sixteenth century decreed laws around when the buns could be made. The sale of hot cross buns and other sweet buns was limited to Easter, Christmas, and funerals.
These rules only caused the buns to be made in secret in people’s homes, apparently unable to resist the lure of the tasty treats.
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