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Arnold
Lara MEaster Origins - Hot Cross Buns and Chocolate Eggs
April 18th 2006 08:51
As I’m sure everyone is still feeling the festive lingering of Easter (or the festive bloated feeling from chocolate overdose), so I’ve decided to look into the origins of our favourite Easter treats. I’m eating some chocolate eggs right now for inspiration.
Hot Cross Buns
I was in a Religious Studies tutorial shortly before the Easter Break and my tutor launched into a diatribe about the pagan significance of hot cross buns before they were adopted for the Christian holiday. Unfortunately I wasn’t listening, as I was out the door in anticipation of the long weekend!
Actually, I had always assumed that the cross symbolised Christ, a logical conclusion when you consider that Easter is a holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus. However, I was mistaken, and as it turns out these cross markings were used by the pre-Christian Saxons on little cakes which they baked as offerings to the Goddess Eostre during the Spring Equinox.
After learning this I noticed the obvious difference which I had initially overlooked, the cross on a hot cross bun has both arms of equal length. This clearly differentiates it from the Christian cross, which is an unequal crucifix.
The equal armed cross is known as the ‘solar cross’ and represents the sun and the four directions. Perhaps this is why Pagan people chose to use the symbol at an Equinox, one of the only times in a year when day and night are of equal duration. Similar crosses have been found scratched on stones from Paleolithic cave sites in the Pyrenees, suggesting an even older usage.
I can certainly see why people weren’t willing to relinquish these treats and they have therefore survived to this day. My pet (and only) hate about hot cross buns is the cross which always assumes the guise of delectable icing, but nevertheless turns out to be cheap flour that tastes like cardboard!
Chocolate Eggs
So what came first the egg or the…er…bunny?
Though I am probably too old for it, my sisters and I still like to enjoy an egg hunt in the garden each year. There’s something about working for your Easter eggs that seems to make them all the more enjoyable.
There are several theories on the origins of Easter eggs. One of the most popular is that it was again an influence of pagan fertility festivals. Eggs and rabbits were seen as symbols of fertility (and still are) and were therefore incorporated into Easter practises. This explains the seemingly illogical pairing of a rabbit with an egg. It wasn’t until the early nineteenth century that some genius in Germany had the marvellous idea of substituting real decorated eggs with chocolate ones. Thank you!
Whatever the reason, I am just happy for more of an excuse than usual to gorge on chocolate.
Hot Cross Buns
I was in a Religious Studies tutorial shortly before the Easter Break and my tutor launched into a diatribe about the pagan significance of hot cross buns before they were adopted for the Christian holiday. Unfortunately I wasn’t listening, as I was out the door in anticipation of the long weekend!
After learning this I noticed the obvious difference which I had initially overlooked, the cross on a hot cross bun has both arms of equal length. This clearly differentiates it from the Christian cross, which is an unequal crucifix.
The equal armed cross is known as the ‘solar cross’ and represents the sun and the four directions. Perhaps this is why Pagan people chose to use the symbol at an Equinox, one of the only times in a year when day and night are of equal duration. Similar crosses have been found scratched on stones from Paleolithic cave sites in the Pyrenees, suggesting an even older usage.
Chocolate Eggs
So what came first the egg or the…er…bunny?
Though I am probably too old for it, my sisters and I still like to enjoy an egg hunt in the garden each year. There’s something about working for your Easter eggs that seems to make them all the more enjoyable.
There are several theories on the origins of Easter eggs. One of the most popular is that it was again an influence of pagan fertility festivals. Eggs and rabbits were seen as symbols of fertility (and still are) and were therefore incorporated into Easter practises. This explains the seemingly illogical pairing of a rabbit with an egg. It wasn’t until the early nineteenth century that some genius in Germany had the marvellous idea of substituting real decorated eggs with chocolate ones. Thank you!
Whatever the reason, I am just happy for more of an excuse than usual to gorge on chocolate.
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