The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-03-26
hot CROSS BUNS"
hot CROSS BUNS
"One a Penny, Two a Penny,
Hot Cross Buns"
Old English Custom for Good Friday in
Vogue in Washington-How 1t
Originated.

On the morning OF Good Friday each OF
| the many thousand good citizens of
Washington who has not long resided here
will encounter surprise which will cause
him or his good wife 10 write letter
home telling about one of the many queer
customs they have in Washington" This
is because the bakers man informs him
that he will not get his accustomed rolls
that morning. because none were baked
the night before but that, if he will, he
may have instead hot cross buns"
He may have seen in the bakers window
during Holy Week the sign. Hot Buns, ;"
with red cross between the words but
he imagines that it is some Roman Catho-
lie institution, which he. good Methodist
or Presbyterian, or plain heather has
nothing TO do with, and he therefore
passes it by without giving it another
thought. Nevertheless, much to his sur
Prise, he finds himself eating them Fri
day morning, along with his steak and
potatoes, and so in spite of himself par
TALLY celebrating a church day
The custom of eating hot cross buns is
confined largely to the city of New York.
although it is carried on to a small ex-
tent in other cities
We hear Of the hot cross buns in the
Mother Goose Melodies"
Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns,
One penny, two a penny, Hot cross
buns
Many Buns Sold.
While there are good many hot cross
buns sold in Washington, there is much
larger demand in New York. In Wash
ington there is a baker who makes a
specially of the buns. This year he states
that there will be larger demand than
before.
In regard to the origin OF the hot cross
buns. prominent scholar of ancient Gus
toms said:
The not cross buns of Good Friday
come to us from England. being unknown
on the continent of Europe or in Scotland;
neither in Ireland unless in cities having
close relations with England. The buns
themselves, decorated with the Roman
cross out-date the English language and
CIVILIZATION, and even the Christian re-
l!g!on, which the cross is properly SUD-
posed to signify.
From time without date man has
found great pleasure in worshipping fierce
gods, who had to be kept in 4 good humor
by means of sacrifices. These were usu-
ally consumed by fire and permitted to
ascend In the form Of smoke to the god
who in this shape was supposed TO derive
great satisfaction and good from them.
These sacrifices were not only the flesh
of newly slain animals but fruit, grain,
cakes. or anything else that a hungry god
might be supposed to relish.
Worshippers of Isis.
MANY thousand years ago" continued
the speaker, there gathered on the banks
of the Nile devout worshippers of Isis.
the goddess of the Egyptians, who taught
the people to weave and spin. The festi- |
val was held in the spring. soon after the |
vernal equinox. for Isis. like the Ceres |
of the Romans was the goddess of the |
fields. In her honor were mixed cakes |
made of flour and honey, and marked with |
the horns of the sacred COW. Isis herself. |
it will be remembered, had her fair brow |
adorned with a pair of horns.
Isis was moreover the goddess of the |
moon. SO that when the Greeks adopted |
the festival they made il in honor of Diana, |
the goddess of hunting and the moonIit |
groves. They also adopted the cakes.
made of flour and honey and marked with !
the two horns. These they called 'boun'
from 'bous, an OK or COW, the name be-
ing in allusion to the horns decorating
the cake.
The Greeks were very thrifty in the |
matter of their sacrifices, and conceived |
that the sacrifice was quite as much In |
honor Of the deity If eaten as il burned
When animals were sacrificed the god |
received the fat and bones. the remainder
being eaten by the pious devotee. Among
the Hebrews the entire animal was con-
sumed.
I'm the hands of the baker the slashes
the horns grew more and
more careless. the lines became |
straighicr. the bases of the horns were |
,rossed. Until finally the mark became
ross
From Greece the spring festival and
he boun' passed TO Rome and thence
o the Roman colonies of which Britain
lia became one at a comparatively late
late.
when the Christian religion became
thoroughly established all heather prac-
ices and ceremonies were put down with
heavy hand and the little cross mark
ID 'boun' was swept from all Europe,
Except in England It was permitted 20
urvive, the cross being symbolical of the
,hristian faith. From England it has
ONE TO America. and the American who
ats a hot cross bun on Good Friday NAV
ecide whether he is honoring Isis Diana |
r Ceres. whether he eats IL as a pious |
'hristian or simply because he is hun
ry." II