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By Lorie Lewis Ham

There are many things associated with Easter, including a lot of yummy food. One of the foods that some partake of this time of year has a very interesting history and symbolism for the season—Hot Cross Buns.

The buns are a spiced sweet bun usually made with fruit and marked with a cross on top, either with icing or etched into the dough. In many countries, they are traditionally eaten on Good Friday to mark the end of Lent, including parts of the United States and Canada. The cross represents the crucifixion of Jesus and the spices inside signify the spices used to embalm Him at His burial.

The origin of these buns is filled with mystery, with no one really knowing for certain where they came from. However, there are many theories and legends surrounding them. According to the website @Kitchn, one legend is that an Anglican monk created them in the 12^th century to be eaten on Good Friday. There are also several stories that indicate that Hot Cross Buns were baked on Good Friday for superstitious reasons—some believed the buns carried magical or medicinal properties. They gained popularity in England towards the end of the 16^th century when Queen Elizabeth I passed a law limiting the sale of sweet buns for only funerals, Christmas and Good Friday. Because they couldn’t buy the buns at other times, many people started secretly making them in their homes. According to Wikepedia, the first definite printed record of Hot Cross Buns comes from a London street cry, which appeared in Poor Robin’s Almanac for 1733 in which the buns are mentioned.

Another possible origin is found on the website Good Food Ireland. It states that even though they are inextricable linked to Easter and Christianity, they probably have pre-Christian origins. Cross Buns were baked to celebrate Eostre, a Germanic Goddess of Fertility, after which the season of Easter is said to be named. The four quarters of the cross on top of each bun were said to represent the phases of the moon, while the cross itself symbolized rebirth after winter. Even more interesting myths and traditions can be found on Smithsonianmag.com.

Through the years other versions of the buns have appeared, including coffee flavored ones in Australia, and toffee, orange-cranberry, salted caramel and chocolate and apple cinnamon versions in the UK. There is even a Not Cross Bun variation which is made the same way, but doesn’t include the cross.

Whatever its true history may be, in 2021 for many people Hot Cross Buns are still a symbol of the Easter season, but also a delicious treat to enjoy any time of year. If you have a special memory or special recipe for Hot Cross Buns that you would like to share with us, please share on our Facebook Page.  Here is the recipe that Mennonite Insurance General Manager Jerry Linscheid grew up with:

Hot Cross Buns – Rosemary Moyer 

Ingredients

• ¼ c. warm water 
• 1 T. dry yeast
• 2 T. sugar
• 3 c. flour
• 1 ½ t. salt (less with margarine or salted butter)
• ½ t. cinnamon
• 1/8 t. nutmeg
• 1/8 t. allspice
• ¾ c. warm milk
• ¼ c. margarine, butter, or vegetable oil 
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ c. Zante dried currants, or chopped raisins 
• ½ c. chopped walnuts 

Directions

1. Plump dried currants or raisins in 1 c. hot water (let sit at least 15 minutes).  
2. Dissolve yeast in water. Stir in 1 T. sugar.  
3. In large bowl, combine 1 ½ c. flour, 1 T. sugar, salt, and spices. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture. 
4. Add milk, margarine (oil/butter) and egg. Beat with mixer until well blended. 
5. Add more flour and mix with a spoon. Add plumped currants and nuts. Continue adding flour and stirring until soft dough is formed.  
6. Knead gently, until smooth, adding flour as needed and keeping dough soft.  
7. Let dough rise until doubled.  
8. Form round buns. Place on greased baking pan 12 per pan. Let rise until doubled. 
9. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until golden. In my oven, 5-6 minutes on the lower rack, and 3-4 minutes on the upper rack. Yield: about 24 buns. Let cool before decorating with a white icing cross. 

By Lorie Ham

According to Shelter Animals Count, 26,000 more pet adoptions took place in 2020 than in the year before. The group runs a database that tracks shelter and rescue activity. Some shelters during this time have even been faced with the demand being greater than the supply—which never happens during normal times. Are more people adopting animals because they are lonely due to being stuck at home? Or perhaps because they now have more time for a pet?

Mindi Miller, Vice President of Animal Rescue of Fresno states that they have definitely seen adoptions go up. “Everybody wants a dog and they feel since they are working from home they are able to better care for the companion since they have more time.” 

Paula Hunsaker, CEO/Founder of Feral Paws Rescue, has been rescuing cats for over 20 years. She too has seen an increase in adoptions during the pandemic. One thing they do during the process right now is to make sure people understand that a cat isn’t a temporary fix for loneliness. “Adopting any animal is a serious commitment.”

Paula feels that while sometimes people are looking to adopt out of loneliness, more often she feels that the pandemic has had us all stepping back to re-evaluate our lives. “Normally, life moves along like a speeding train without thought of what is lacking in our lives. With this past year of lockdown, we’ve stopped to see that in many instances the connection with a pet is what filled the empty spots in our lives we didn’t even know that we had. The joy we see from adopters, and shared happy experiences, shows us that people are much more grounded with a pet in their lives, almost as if it is an added extension of home.”

For most rescues, the process of adoption has changed a bit. “Our process is no more walk throughs—all our adoptable dogs are online for all to see,” shares Mindi. “If they are interested in meeting a dog they complete the application and our adoption crew will contact them to go through their application first and then arrange a meet and greet. Which is safe for all involved.”

Feral Paws has always worked by appointments so for them less has changed. They have a listing of adoptable cats on their website and listed at over 1000 other websites. “When somebody views a kitty, or sometimes two kitties, they send us an email or call us to make an appointment. We have always asked the public to make an appointment, which makes it much more comfortable for the adopter and also for the cats, where we have an enclosed area for the cat(s) they wanted to meet and also a couple of others . We also ask that they have an open mind and allow the cat to choose them, and most often, this works best. You want a connection with the cat, and allowing them to choose you is a special blessing. Pet adoption, as well as human insurance, is a contractual agreement.”

Pets can bring so much joy to life, but before adopting always make sure you are able to make a lifetime commitment to your new companion. If you feel that a pet is right for you, there are many options for finding just the right one. You can check the websites of local rescues, which can be easily found by doing a Google search, or check out Petfinder, which connects those who want to adopt with rescues all over the country. Kings River Life Magazine has columns from many local rescues every month featuring various pets that are up for adoption as well.

If you have adopted a new pet during the pandemic, we would love to have you share some photos on the Mennonite Insurance Facebook Page!