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A dish that's a common sight in much of the British Commonwealth during Easter - the hot cross bun. This soft raisin/currant studded bun (with cinnamon or nutmeg included in the dough) is usually emblazoned with a cross on top. The first mention of this pastry dates to the 12th century CE, when an English monk baked buns and marked them with a cross, so as to be eaten during Good Friday. Over the centuries it grew in popularity and various traditions became connected with it, such as The Widow’s Buns Ceremony, which will be discussed in the article.
The Widow’s Buns Ceremony
Once, during the early 19th century, there was a widow living in a cottage in the East End of London. Legend has it that she received a letter from her only son, who was serving in the British navy engaged in the Napoleonic Wars, and he stated in it that he would be be able to return home for Easter. On Good Friday she baked the fresh hot cross buns that he so enjoyed. He never returned that year, but the mother continued to bake hot cross buns during Easter, in the hope that he would return, and hung them from the ceiling of her house. After years of doing this she had amassed quite a collection of hot cross buns in her kitchen.
In 1848 a pub replaced the cottage, and in 1851 it took on the moniker of The Widow's Son; as the name suggests, the establishment preserved the widow's tradition, and on Good Friday the pub landlords would bake a hot cross bun with the date embedded, which would then be varnished to be placed in a net that hung from the ceiling.
The story ties in with belief that was commonplace in Great Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries: a belief that that buns baked on Good Friday are incorruptible and would not go mouldy. Furthermore, they were considered to be lucky if hung in the kitchen, serving as a charm against fires and evil spirits, and could be utilized used to cure ailments, such as stomach aches. It was typically grated and ingested in powder form with water. It was also thought that the protective powers warded off shipwrecks as well, which may explain the mother's devotion to the tradition.
Nowadays an active member of the Royal Navy hangs the pastry at the pub. Although the veracity of the tale behind the The Widow Bun's Ceremony might be uncertain, it's intention is not. It continues to be a gesture that hopes to ensure the safe return of the numerous women and men serving in the navy.
Thank you for reading!
A dish that's a common sight in much of the British Commonwealth during Easter - the hot cross bun. This soft raisin/currant studded bun (with cinnamon or nutmeg included in the dough) is usually emblazoned with a cross on top. The first mention of this pastry dates to the 12th century CE, when an English monk baked buns and marked them with a cross, so as to be eaten during Good Friday. Over the centuries it grew in popularity and various traditions became connected with it, such as The Widow’s Buns Ceremony, which will be discussed in the article.
The Widow’s Buns Ceremony
Once, during the early 19th century, there was a widow living in a cottage in the East End of London. Legend has it that she received a letter from her only son, who was serving in the British navy engaged in the Napoleonic Wars, and he stated in it that he would be be able to return home for Easter. On Good Friday she baked the fresh hot cross buns that he so enjoyed. He never returned that year, but the mother continued to bake hot cross buns during Easter, in the hope that he would return, and hung them from the ceiling of her house. After years of doing this she had amassed quite a collection of hot cross buns in her kitchen.
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| The landlady of the Widow's Son Pub adds one more hot cross bun to the bunch hanging from the ceiling. |
In 1848 a pub replaced the cottage, and in 1851 it took on the moniker of The Widow's Son; as the name suggests, the establishment preserved the widow's tradition, and on Good Friday the pub landlords would bake a hot cross bun with the date embedded, which would then be varnished to be placed in a net that hung from the ceiling.
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| The pub sign of The Widow's Son. |
The story ties in with belief that was commonplace in Great Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries: a belief that that buns baked on Good Friday are incorruptible and would not go mouldy. Furthermore, they were considered to be lucky if hung in the kitchen, serving as a charm against fires and evil spirits, and could be utilized used to cure ailments, such as stomach aches. It was typically grated and ingested in powder form with water. It was also thought that the protective powers warded off shipwrecks as well, which may explain the mother's devotion to the tradition.
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| Royal Navy sailor Alan Beckett places the bun on Good Friday 4 April 1958. |
Nowadays an active member of the Royal Navy hangs the pastry at the pub. Although the veracity of the tale behind the The Widow Bun's Ceremony might be uncertain, it's intention is not. It continues to be a gesture that hopes to ensure the safe return of the numerous women and men serving in the navy.
Thank you for reading!
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