A bakery in Australia has sparked fury over its decision to remove the recognisable cross from its fresh 'Easter buns'.
Easter is upon us, and for a lot of people that means two things: chocolate eggs, and hot cross buns.
The classic buns are typically made of a spiced, sweet bread and packed with fruit, but over time supermarkets have come up with all sorts of new takes on the traditional treat, incorporating flavours from chocolate to banoffee to keep people on their toes.
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There's a whole range of versions available now, but they usually have one thing in common: they're decorated with a cross over the top of the bun.
The tradition ties into the Christian celebration that takes place over Easter, marking the time when Jesus was crucified on the cross before being resurrected.
Hot cross buns traditionally honour this belief, with the cross used to symbolise the crucifixion, as well as tying into the name of the bun.
Over in Brisbane, Riser Bakery doesn't show off its hot cross buns at this time of year. Instead, it features 'Easter Time Buns' - treats which contain fruit and feature the same glazed top as traditional hot cross buns, only with no cross to speak of.
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Riser doesn't claim the buns are hot cross buns, but after the bakery shared snaps of the creations on Instagram, people quickly took issue.
It seems that many people believe the buns are hot cross buns, and have scolded the bakery for its decision to remove the part which symbolises the crucifixion.
"But just because YOU 'feel' that Easter shouldn't have any connection to religion doesn't change the fact that it does," one frustrated Instagram user commented.
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"Sure it's been taken over and commercialised with rabbits and chocolates, but still, come on, respect the religion," they continued.
"Your hatred of Christians and the Easter Message is noted," wrote another, adding: "Disgraceful."
Michael Sherlock, CEO of Brumby’s bakery franchise, was among those slamming the lack of a cross as he told The Courier Mail: "This wouldn’t have happened in my time at Brumby’s. You can’t have Easter without hot cross buns."
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Riser has received some support from followers, with one assuring the buns 'look delicious', and after its first post about the Easter buns the bakery launched a competition to ask its followers to come up with a new name for the treats.
Riser has also responded to the complaints to assure that the owners weren't trying to take 'a stance against Christianity' with the buns.
In a statement to Tyla, the bakery said: "Firstly, the backlash is 100 percent online. Our customers love the buns and they’ve completely sold out each day we’ve baked them. We have as many people getting in touch to say how delicious the buns are [as] we do angry Christians telling us God will take away our profits.
"It’s absurd to have someone [...] visit our Instagram just to let us know we’re disgusting without ever having set foot in our shop. We have the most warm and welcoming staff any business could hope for.
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"Not adding the cross to an Easter Spiced Bun is easier and tastier than adding it. The cross is just flour and water and tastes terrible!
"This was never a stance against Christianity or for any particular agenda. It felt disingenuous to use a Christian symbol when none of us are Christians. It’s as simple as that. We actually thought good Christian folk might get behind the idea of resisting the commodification of their most important symbol."
Topics: Food and Drink, Life
Emily Brown