IN China, where moon worship largely prevails during the festival of Yue-Ping, which is held annually during the eighth month, incense is burned in the temples, cakes are made like the moon, and at full moon the people spread out oblations and make prostrations to the planet. These cakes are moon cakes and veritable offerings to the queen of heaven, who represents the female principle in Chinese theology. If we turn now to Jer. 7:18, and read there, "The women knead dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto other gods," and remember that, according to Rashi, these cakes of the Hebrews had the image of the god or goddess stamped upon them, we are in view of a fact of much interest. The interest becomes greater when we learn that in parts of Lancashire there exists a precisely similar custom of making cakes in honor of the queen of heaven. From these facts, the discovery of two buns, each marked with a cross, in Herculaneum, and other evidences, we are driven to the conclusion that the "hot-cross buns" of Christian England are in reality but a relic of moon worship.—All the Year Round.