Maundy Thursday - Holy Thursday

This day, Maundy Thursday (also "Holy Thursday" or "Shire Thursday"1) commemorates Christ's Last Supper, the initiation of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood, and our Lord's Agony in the Garden of Gethsemani on the Mount of Olives. Its name of "Maundy" comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning "command." This stems from Christ's words in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give unto you." It is the first of the three days known as the "Triduum."

Several countries celebrate particular customs on this day. Being I am from Czech background, "one of the customs in Czechoslovakia is the food of the day is Jidáše, or "Judas Buns" -- little buns made of sweet pastry that are said to resemble spirals of the rope Judas used to hang himself with. The eating of honey on Maundy Thursday is considered good luck in Czechoslovakia, and these buns make use of that lore" (fisheaters.com):

"Jidáše (Judas Buns)

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups whole milk, slightly warmed - divided

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2/3 stick unsalted butter

2 egg yolks, at room temperature

1 tsp lemon zest

1/3 cup granulated sugar - divided

pinch of salt

1 whole egg

1 tablespoon honey, warmed

Put the flour into a bowl and make a well. Pour into the well 2/3 c. of the lukewarm milk. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Add the yeast. Stir the flour in from the sides until a thick, doughy batter forms. Dust lightly with flour and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the stick of butter and let it cool to just warm. When the 30 minutes are up, add the butter to the dough along with the egg yolks, lemon zest, salt, remaining milk, and sugar. Stir everything up and then knead for about 10 minutes on a floured surface. Then let the dough rise for another 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope that's about 10 inches long, then form each rope into a spiral, tucking the end up and underneath the spiral. Place onto a parchment-lined sheet, cover them with a moist tea towel, and let them rise for another 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 350F. While the oven's heating, beat up the whole egg and baste the tops of the pastries with it. When the oven's ready, bake the buns for about 15-25 minutes until golden. Glaze the tops of the buns with the warmed honey while they're still hot."