Hot Cross Buns! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I had no idea that hot cross buns were such a sacred part of our Christian Easter heritage with such significant theological symbolism. Christians in South Africa have complained that Woolworths has placed a Halaal certification sticker on their hot cross buns.One satirical headline put it, “Woolworths shoppers foil Islamist hot cross bun terror plot.”
The food chain apologised for the upset and said it would release separate buns in future: non-Halaal certified hot cross buns and Halaal certified spiced buns. It sounds incredible, but comments posted onto online news articles reflect the anger and the arrogance of the Christians(?) who started the furore in the first place.
I remember a Hindu friend who said, “But Christmas is for everyone.” I say, “Amen” to that. And so is Easter and everything else that is of Christ. And if putting a Halaal sticker on hot cross buns ensures that a Muslim (or anyone else) might eat one and (who knows) maybe think about the One who died for us all, how cool is that?
Our reaction to the sticker however has just ensured that, if the bun doesn’t stick in his throat, he (or she) will only be interested in the taste. There will be no interest in anyone or anything associated with such arrogant exclusivism. How sad is that? Have we become the very people who put Jesus on the cross?
Related articles
- Do you like Hot Cross Buns? (hurtlingtowards60.wordpress.com)
Wondering Preacher 
P.S. …IF SOME CHRISTIANS FEEL THAT MUSLIMS SHOULD NOT EAT HOT X BUNS THEN THEM MUST NOT BUY STUFF FROM HALALL BUTCHERIES AND NOT EAT THE SWEETS MADE BY MUSLIMS AND NOT EAT ALL STUFF WITH HALALL LABELS…. THIS IS NOT AGE TO BE CONDEMNING RELIGIONS . POOR PEOPLE WILL EAT ANYTHING WHETHER THEY MUSLIM, CHRISTIAN ,TAMIL,HINDI , ETC THERE IS SO MUCH POVERTY IN THIS WORLD THAN TO FIGHT OVER A STAMP OF APPROVAL. LEARN FROM THE STRET KIDS AND BEGGARS IF U DON’T KNOW WHAT I MEAN [THRY EAT WHAT THEY GET] ……
LOVE BEING A CHRISTIAN
JUST DISHEARTENED AT THE WAY SOME OF THEM THINK
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Hi Erica, Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments. Please don’t use caps in your comments. It sounds like shouting and it doesn’t feel good. Take care.
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I AM A CHRISTIAN AND I FIND THAT THE ISSUE OF THE “HOT CROSS BUN” IS VERY SILLY , ITS A FOOD ITEM ENJOYED BY MANY,THE HALALL STAMP MEANS THAT THERE IS NO MEAT FATS IN THE PRODUCT, IF WE SHOULD BE FIGHTING IT SHOULD BE FOR “WHY” DOES EVERYONE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AND HAVE A HOLIDAY ,ITS THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, WHEN MUSLIMS CELEBRATE EID WE DON’T GET A DAY OFF WORK
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It is silly isn’t it? But no, I wouldn’t fight about Christmas either. Let the Government decide on the Public Holidays, and let the shopkeepers decide what sells, as long as there is no harm done. We’ve got much more important things to work on.
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no ,means its ritualized,and the certification costs money,which u pay for,this money goes to the ? google it its all there dont believe these naysayers who are ignorant or doing it knowingly…oh and read your bible,again.
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Hi Hurt, have you ever thought through the implications of what St Paul said about eating meat that has been offered to idols. I recommend that you start there. And if you are not sure about Paul, then think about Jesus who said, “It’s not what goes into a person’s mouth that defiles him or her, but what comes out.” That’s why Jesus could summarise the law into two commands: love God, and love your neighbour. Or as he said elsewhere, Don’t worry about what you eat or what you wear. Be concerned only with God’s kingdom.
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Hi Ian,Jesus said…I DO NOT COME TO CHANGE THE LAW BUT TO REINFORCE IT…not sure about Paul at all,interesting that it appears that {and i might be wrong here,they could be pseudo} Christians are perturbed that other Christians dont want to eat food slaughtered with a ritual prayer even if its a taped prayer,yet are happy that muslims refuse to eat{for the most part non halal} thats ok, but not ok for Christians to want non halal,not withstanding the fact that this has come about on this scale recently{everything halal} muslims are 2% of the population,very odd.
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If people think that putting 2 pieces of pastry (?) across the top of a fruit bun makes it non-Halaal or Halaal, what happens during the rest of the year, when the same recipe is used for the fruit buns we see in the bakery, minus the 2 offendng pieces?
Love
Mum
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No, we must hold on to what we’ve got, even if it is just a bun! Sad if, at the end of the day, all you’ve got to show for your faith is a sticky bun with bits of white pastry…
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Good one, Ian. Why are some Christians so edgey about their faith?
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Is it their faith or their uncertainties? Perhaps what is at the centre is so empty we think we must protect the boundaries. The more we shout about what’s out there the less we have to worry about what’s inside?
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