EZINE Easter 2013 | Page 6

gives us a tantalising taster into delicious Easter food!

As an attempt to harmonise the solar and lunar calendars, Easter is generally calculated as the first Sunday following the first full moon after the 21st of March. Although the date varies from year to year, there are some traditions that have remained the same for centuries and will be handed down for generations. Many of these customs are associated with food.

"One of the most iconic Easter foods is the hot cross bun"

One of the most iconic Easter foods is the hot cross bun. This had no definite beginning, but was the culmination of a number of earlier traditions. There are theories that ancient Anglo-Saxons baked small wheat cakes in honour of the springtime goddess, Eostre, from which the tradition was developed. It might have been a pagan tradition, where the cross represents the sun wheel or the four quarters of the moon. During the medieval times, the cross was said to ward off evil spirits that could affect the bread, such as mould and staleness; therefore, during these times it was commonly used by bakers and expected from customers. In the reign of Elizabeth I, the Christian Church tried to ban them. However, this was unpopular so the church embraced the bread, but only as a Christian food. To this end, the Queen passed a law that only allowed it to be eaten during Christmas, Easter or funerals. Although these laws are now broken, this has caused hot cross buns to become associated with Easter.

"Simnel Cake signifies the end of Lent"

Another food traditionally associated with Easter is Simnel Cake. It signifies the end of Lent, as it is rich with fruits, spices and marzipan, all of which are forbidden during Lent. Originally it was made on Mother’s Day, when maids and cooks were given the day off to visit their mothers. It is said to come from a sister –called Nell- and a brother –called Simon. They wanted to make a cake for their mother, but one wanted to bake it and the other wanted to boil it. Therefore, they decided to do both and bring both ideas together into one cake

EASTER FOOD!