Hot Cross Buns (By Guest Blogger John Budnick)

We are almost to Easter and from Holy Thursday on, my week has been filled with events surrounding the passion of Christ. Yesterday, Geoff Gentile led a stations of the cross through SoHo and Greenwich Village. It was an amazing experience. One of the interns at the World Youth Alliance, Jordan, told me that this was one of the reasons he decided to take the position in New York. He found out about it through a movie called, God in the Streets of New York.

In addition to the Stations of the Cross, as part of our Good Friday remembrance, I learned about the history of hot cross buns. A friend of ours, Muffin, is being accepted into the Catholic Church at Vigil Mass this evening. A friend of hers brought a book that covers some of the essential elements of the Faith.

According to this book, "Baking hot cross buns on Good Friday is an old custom that has now been extended to the whole season of Lent. Hot cross buns often have raisins or dried fruit to give them some taste, but no sweet filling because Lent is a penitential season. However, white icing is placed on the top and always in the shape of a cross - as a reminder that Easter is coming.

"Hot cross bus are reported to have first appeared on Good Friday in 1361. Fr. Thomas Rockliffe distributed the small cakes, marked by a cross, to the poor of St. Albans Abbey."

I never knew the history of hot cross buns and thought I might share that with you. I hope that you all enjoy your Easter Triduum.