Various school councils in Britain are banning the traditional Hot Cross Buns from the cafeteria menu at Easter time.
Some councils are refusing to hand out the traditional treats because they fear that the symbol of the cross will spark complaints from Jewish, Hindu and Muslim pupils or their families.
Officials in the London borough of Tower Hamlets decided to remove the buns from menus this year after criticism over its decision to serve pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. A spokesman for the Labour-run council claimed that there had been “a lot” of complaints but did not have a figure.
The spokesman added: “We are moving away from a religious theme for Easter and will not be doing hot cross buns. We can’t risk a similar outcry over Easter like the kind we had on Pancake Day. We will probably be serving naan breads instead.”
Instead, there’s a popular outcry among folks who enjoy the tradition, religious or not. And some of the potential offendees think it’s awfully silly.
The Muslim Council of Britain called the decision “very, very bizarre”. A spokesman said: “This is absolutely amazing. At the moment, British Muslims are very concerned about the upcoming war with Iraq and are hardly going to be taken aback by a hot cross bun.
“Unfortunately actions like this can only create a backlash and it is not very thoughtful. I wish they would leave us alone. We are quite capable of articulating our own concerns and if we find something offensive, we will say so. We do not need to rely on other people to do it for us.
“British Muslims have been quite happily eating and digesting hot cross buns for many years and I don’t think they are suddenly going to be offended.”
Maybe they could just call them “hot X buns.”
Nah. Anti-mutant hysteria would sweep the land.
I really like hot cross buns. That makes me want to go out and get some. And eat them.
I bought some at Publix the other day. It was reading about this “controversy” that made me want some. They’re pretty good.
According to the article, they’ve been deemed one of the healthiest Easter-time snacks.
I do like “Hot X Buns” — but between the anti-mutant hysteria and the League for Decent-Thinking People Against Pr0n, they’d probably be in bigger trouble than now.
Since many of the Christian Easter traditions go back to earlier pagan traditions that celebrate the return of Spring, like eggs and rabbits, how about “Hot Spring Buns,” or maybe “Hot Vernal Buns.”
It’s a lot easier to mark a cross on the buns than a spring, let alone a vernal.
(The buns do actually date back to pre-Christianity, but were, natch, assimilated.)
How about we just cover them with galze and call then good.
Mmmmmm….
Gaaaaalzeeee
It’s a religous holiday. If you aren’t going to let us celebrate what it “really” is about. Then knock it the f@#$ off with the Easter Bunny crap!
I don’t think anyone is paritcularly interested in stopping individuals from celebrating Easter who are of a religious mind to do so. The question is to what degree the trappings of a religious holiday should be allowed to seep (or remain) in the civil fabric around it, especially when you are talking about the legacy of centuries-worth of tradition.