Lenten season and Easter celebrations are not complete without hot cross buns, but the reason why it's an Easter tradition is linked to many legends and Christian symbology.

Hot cross buns are generally made of lightly-sweetened yeast dough, usually filled with fruits, nuts, and spices, then glazed and topped with icing in the shape of a cross.

One legend claims an English monk in the 12th century baked the rolls during Good Friday and marked them with a cross shape to signify the occasion.

Another story is linked to a monk at St. Albans Abbey during the 14th century named Brother Thomas Rocliffe, who baked what he called "Alban buns."

Rocliffe's buns closely resembled hot cross buns and shared the traditional cross shape, signifying their connection to the Church and Good Friday.

The cross shape is meant to symbolize Jesus Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, turning Christ's punishment into a symbol of victory.

It's also been stated that the spices used in baking the bread are meant to invoke the spices used in embalming Christ's body.

Another legend says that if you prepare the buns on Good Friday, the bread will not decay, symbolizing how Christ's body remained unchanged after being dead for three days.

Hot cross buns were also believed to have magical properties, leading Queen Elizabeth I to regulate their sale in an effort to remove their association with magic or urban legends.

People firmly believed that hanging the buns from roofing beams or drying them into powder could cure wounds and sicknesses and drive out evil spirits.

To keep them "holy," Elizabeth I allowed the sale of these pastries only on religious holidays, such as Easter and Christmas, and during certain burials.