The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1951-02-08

the leS6IlQ VI The not CIOSS DIIl QdtSo
back to 1000 B. c. and that its as
ISOLATION with religious customs
dates back to that time also.
Records claim that Cecrops, leg
endary Greek hero said to have
been the founder of Attica, known
today as Greece, offered a sweet
bun to the gods as far back as 1000
B. c. Petrifed and perfectly shap-
ed buns were discovered at Her
culaneum, destroyed by Mr.. Vesu-
vius in 70 A. D.
The early Egyptians offered buns,
bearing two horns, to their Moon
Goddess. The early Greeks chang
ed the horn mark to a cross. The
Saxons marked their buns with the
cross in honor of Eastre, their God
dess of Light. Romans, too, ate
crossed bread, buying it at the
temple doors when they went to
offer public sacrifice.
The Christian fathers adapted the
Greek and Roman custom of eating
crossed buns as a religious factor in
Lenten observance. Some reports
state this custom stems from the
buns universal religious observance,
while other reports say the bun was
something the people felt they could
eat during the Lenten period to re-
place pastries, cakes, and other rich
foods which they may have decided
to forego.
In England, which most people
consider the native land of the mod
ern hot cross bun, they were
designed to be eaten on Good Fri
day, a fast day. Today. however,
hot cross buns are eaten during the
entire Lenten period.
Hot cross buns are most popular
today in England and in the United
States, where the custom Q was
brought by the early English set
tiers, but the religious significance
of the cross bun has been lost to-
day, and it is no longer emblemati-
cal
Quaint traditions and supersti-
tons still cling to the hot cross bun,
however In England, it is be-
lieved if a hot cross bun is hung in
the chimney place on Good Friday
and left there during the entire
year, it will bring good luck.
Another olden superstitution
calls for the preservation of hot
cross bun crumbs in strong boxes, to
be dissolved in water and taken as
a cure-all when needed during the
year.
So popular were these buns that
a poem was written about them.
This Mother Goose rhyme is familiar
to everyone:
'Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns!
One penny, two penny, hot cross
buns!
If you have no daughters, give them
to your sons,
One penny, two a penny, hot cross
buns!
If you have none of these elves,
Then you may eat them for your
selves"
And now here is another inter
esting story from the files of the
late Benny Beard" this time about
Pen-Mar Park.
Pen-Mar Park is now a memory.
The last vestige of this once very
popular summer resort has been OBJ
liberated.
1t was opened to the public about
1878 and was owned by J. M. Hood,
who was at that time, and for a
number of years to come, the pres
ident of the old Western Maryland
Railroad. 1t was leased to the rail
road company for park and a place
to run excursions during the sum-
mer,. at time when passenger
business meant much to the railway
company.
Improvements were at once be-
gun. The dancing pavilion, which
had been in Greenwood Park, near
Baltimore, was moved to the park
and later enlarged.
In the early days the merry-go-
round, some swings, a roller coaster
Con the mountain side and not up in
the park, shooting gallery, cane
boards souvenir stand and CIRCUITS
Pen-Mar Dining Room, where fam
Gus 50-cent dinners were served
(25 cents to railroad mem, were
erected for the enjoyment and rec
reation of visitors. There were
hack rides over the mountain-two
miles to High Rock, Ragged Edge,
Brentwood, Quirauk and Buena
Vista. The summer boarders were