Hot Cross Buns,

Hot Cross Buns.
One a penny two a penny,
Hot Cross Buns.

Dear Diary,

Today is Good Friday and the last day of the third year of my journal.  This is a plate of yummy hot cross buns, a very traditional thing to eat during holy week.  Originally, they were only eaten on Good Friday and couldn't be made or eaten at any other time of the year.  There are lots of legends and myths about this humble little bun and you can read about some here. 

What I remember about them is making my first buns in junior high school in Miss Gustafson's cooking class a day or two before Good Friday. On Friday morning we had our lovely buns for breakfast.  We always had Good Friday off from school.  My catholic friends went to church.  We were just told to go and play quietly in our rooms from noon to 3 pm.

My grandmother made them early on but later we bought our buns at the Portuguese bakery in town.  I think having them only one time a year made them seem a lot more delicious.  Like only eating tomatoes and strawberries in season.  We are not a culture now that finds this sort of thing easy.  We want everything available all the time.  But for some reason, hot cross buns continue to be available only during holy week.  I am glad of that.