What is the origin of Hot Cross Buns?

Answer 1

There are a lot of different versions of how they came about =)

In the ancient culture of the Assyrians, small cakes were baked and offered to Ishtar and the Egyptians honoured Hathor with similar little cakes. These earlier Easter treats were marked with a curved shape, like the crescent moon or the horns of an ox. The Greeks and Romans also made cakes for the moon goddess, marking them with ox horns.

Lttle buns were baked all over pre-Christian Europe in honour of the Spring goddess, Eostre, and the Saxons carried the tradition to England. They marked their wheat cakes with a cross as the sacred symbol of the sun wheel which is in perfect balance at the Spring Equinox.

The cross also represents the four seasons, or the four phases of the moon, and were found on the sacrificial bread of lunar goddesses of many cultures. We use a circle with a cross as the biological symbol for female - the sign of Venus. When Christianity gained ascendancy, the cross on the bun came to represent the traditional Christian cross and the Easter festival became dominated by Christian traditions. In modern times we associate hot cross buns with Good Friday, or at least with the lenten season, but it took a decree from Queen Elizabeth I to limit consumption of hot cross buns to proper religious ceremonies, such as Christmas, Easter or funerals.

Answer 2

From Wikipedia:
History
In many historically Christian countries, the buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of the crucifixion. They are believed by some to pre-date Christianity, although the first recorded use of the term "hot cross bun" is not until 1733. According to food historian Elizabeth David, the buns were seen by Protestant English monarchs as a dangerous hold over of Catholic belief in England, being baked from the consecrated dough used in making the communion wafer. Protestant England attempted to ban the sale of the buns by bakers but they were too popular, and instead Elizabeth I passed a law permitting bakeries to sell them, but only at Easter and Christmas

Answer 3

In many historically Christian countries, the buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of the crucifixion. They are believed by some to pre-date Christianity, although the first recorded use of the term "hot cross bun" is not until 1733.

Answer 4

If youre talking about the song "Hot cross buns" then :

Hot Cross Buns is also a simple song for teaching basic notes for learning various instruments. It developed out of a English street cry of bakers hawking their products.

There are two versions of the tune. The simple version is played with the sequence A,G,F whilst the original more musical version uses the notes A,A,D, where the second A is one octave lower than the first.

I can still play it on my recorder lol

If youre talking about the ITEM itself, then read below. or look it up on wikipedia.org...
i got excited and assumed you were talking about the song we learn when we're in elementary school.

Answer 5

Hmuu?
did you look in the dictionary..??

hot cross bun
NOUN:
A sweet bun marked on top with a cross of frosting, traditionally eaten during Lent.

OK I thought they just made the bun and used a sharp knife to make the cross for thanksgiving..???
wdik

Answer 6

i always thought it was hot crust buns!