Good Friday Celebrations

Pooja Mitra Sep 23, 2023

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Good Friday that commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus is traditionally a time of fasting. It is the most sacred day in the Christian calendar. The date of Good Friday, which vary each year, occur between March 20th and April 23rd. It falls on the last Friday before Easter. It is a time to meditate and rejoice upon God's love in sacrificing His only Son to redeem all the sins of mankind. Though Good Friday is celebrated in different ways around the globe, the basic essence of the day remains the same. On the occasion, people wear black clothes, cover the statues, pictures and crosses with black and unlit all the candles. To celebrate Good Friday people attend churches and say prayers to memorize and honor Christ’s death and sufferings.

GiftstoIndia24x7.com is the online gifting portal enabling non-resident Indians to send gifts to India. The online store arranges a plethora of gift articles for various occasions and festivals. You can also Send Gifts to India on Good Friday to make the occasion more memorable. You can send flower bouquets to India coupled with candles or cakes to India to your friends and relatives. You can also send apparel or watches to your dear ones as Easter gifts to India which is the day of Jesus Christ's resurrection. ‘Good Friday Buns’ are traditionally served on Good Friday for breakfast. So on Good Friday, you can prepare these special buns. They are usually spiced buns, buttered, either warm or toasted, with the ‘cross’ standing as a symbol of ‘The Crucifixion’. The recipe of the Good Friday Bun is as follows -

Good Friday Buns Recipe

For The Ferment

* 1 large egg, beaten

* 215ml warm water

* 20g active dried yeast – or 40g live fresh yeast

* 1 tsp sugar

* 50g strong white flour

For The Dough

* 150g currants

* 40g sultanas

* 50g chopped mixed peel

* 625g strong white flour

* 1 tsp sea salt

* 3 tsp ground mixed spice

* 150g unsalted butter (or lard), softened

* 100g sugar

* grated zest of a lemon

For The Cross

* 3 tbsp plain flour

* 2 tbsp milk (add more if necessary)

* 1 tbsp butter, softened

* 1 tbsp icing (powdered) sugar

For The Bun Glaze

* 3 tbsp golden syrup (corn syrup) warmed

* 1 tbsp hot water

Preparation

Rinse the dried fruit under some clean running water and leave to drain in a colander. Sieve the main flour into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle in the spice and sea salt, rub in the butter (or lard) until the flour resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre.
Put the sugar and grated lemon zest in the well and gently pour in the yeast ferment (after it has had 30 minutes). Gradually draw in the flour with a wooden spoon and mix vigorously, then gently knead on a lightly floured work surface until it becomes a smooth and elastic dough. If the dough is wet, add a small amount of plain flour as you knead.
Once the dough is smooth and elastic work in the drained dried fruit (currants, sultanas, and mixed peel). Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a floured bowl, cover it over with a clean cloth, and put it to rise in a warm place for 90 minutes.
After 90 minutes, turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface, gently knead to knock any excess air out, and get the dough into an even texture once more. Shape it back into a ball, put it back into the bowl, cover over, and leave for another 30 minutes.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten it slightly into a bun shape using the palms of your hands. Cover the buns again with the clean cloth and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Grease a baking tray with butter and carefully transfer the buns to the tray – use a very sharp knife and cut a shallow cross into the dough, from edge to edge. Cover and place the baking tray somewhere warm – a tip is to place the tray inside a large polythene bag. Tie the end of the bag and set aside in a warm place for a further 40 minutes to rise.
Preheat the oven to 240C

Prepare the Pastry Cross

In a small mixing bowl add the flour and rub in the butter until it forms fine breadcrumbs, sprinkle in the sugar and beat in the milk until a smooth moist pastry is formed which can be piped easily through a small piping bag.

Make the Hot Cross Buns

When the buns have risen, remove the polythene bag. Spoon the flour mixture into a piping bag and pipe a cross on each bun into the cross indentation left by the shallow cut.
Transfer the buns to the baking tray to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until pale golden brown. As soon as you remove the Hot Cross Buns from the oven, brush them with the warm runny golden syrup mixed with 1 tbsp of hot water, then set aside to cool on a wire rack.
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