How early is too early for Easter products?

[Gingerbread Demon]

I'd love to know people's thoughts on this. 2021 hasn't even ended yet and one local retailer where I am is selling hot cross buns already. I think it's gross.

Coles is like only 5 minutes from my place by car 15 or 20 minutes by bus. I had to go see for myself and sure enough in the bakery section hot cross buns.

 

[Avro Arrow]

I'd love to know people's thoughts on this. 2021 hasn't even ended yet and one local retailer where I am is selling hot cross buns already. I think it's gross.

Umm... is that an "Easter product"? The grocery store nearest to me sells hot cross buns all year 'round.

I thought you were going to say someone had chocolate eggs or chocolate rabbits out already, or something. (Although one of the chocolate egg candies is sold all year now, too, but I forget if it's Hershey's Eggies or Cadbury Mini Eggs.)

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Umm... is that an "Easter product"? The grocery store nearest to me sells hot cross buns all year 'round.

I thought you were going to say someone had chocolate eggs or chocolate rabbits out already, or something. (Although one of the chocolate egg candies is sold all year now, too, but I forget if it's Hershey's Eggies or Cadbury Mini Eggs.)

I always assumed the buns were only an Easter thing. I think it's gross they are out already. Last year the eggs started at the end of January

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I think it's gross.

I had to go see for myself

Hot Cross Buns started as a Good Friday / Easter weekend tradition, but there's nothing preventing religiously minded store owners (or just those seeking to make more money) from doing it year round. Did they explicitly advertise it as an Easter product?

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I always assumed the buns were only an Easter thing. I think it's gross they are out already. Last year the eggs started at the end of January

That's twice now you've called it gross. If they're just the buns and it's not part of some massive early Easter push, why do you find it so repulsive? And even if it is an early Easter retail push, while that can certainly be mildly irritating, it's not anything I would describe in such visceral terms as "gross".

Usually retailers will start doing New Years, Valentine's Day, and St. Patrick's Day stuff next.

Maybe they do it because even people who think it's gross will come to the store to see it for some reason, even if it's just to complain about it being out too early.

 

[Unicron]

My local Target already has Valentine's Day stuff up.

 

[Avro Arrow]

OK, I have to admit, I had no idea there were any religious associations with hot cross buns whatsoever. I've always just thought of them as a tasty baked good. But this thread has prompted me to do some research. As @Santa Jaws pointed out, they are apparently traditionally eaten around Good Friday. And the buns themselves are apparently symbolic. To quote from Wikipedia:

The bun marks the end of the Christian season of Lent and different parts of the hot cross bun have a certain meaning, including the cross representing the crucifixion of Jesus, and the spices inside signifying the spices used to embalm him at his burial and may also include orange peel to reflect the bitterness of his time on the Cross.

(As a non-religious person, I have to admit this tends to bring out a bit of a reaction in me. But I mean no disrespect to those of religious affiliation, of course... it's mainly the thought of a food item intending to symbolize death and embalming.)

I also found out that a number of locations in Canada sell these buns all year, so my local grocery store (FWIW, it's a Metro, which is a major chain operating in Ontario and Quebec) is not unusual in this regard. Since about a third of Canadians identify as non-religious, I guess it would make sense for them to sell these buns all year, for people--like me--who don't associate them with any particular religious observance.

So I guess you do learn something new every day. And I will continue to enjoy hot cross buns in a secular fashion, similar to how I enjoy Christmas.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

My local Target already has Valentine's Day stuff up.

Yes but that's a very important day. Also my inception day

 

[Malicia]

Hot cross buns being brought in to share before the Easter break was an annual tradition when I was at school but I've never liked them because I don't like bread with currents and other dried fruit in it. I would buy them if they were savoury like chopped jalapeno, Marmite, onions and mature cheddar and more like a croissant in texture than a heavier scone or bagel. I'm sure JC would welcome mixing it up.

 

[XCV330]

I only know hot crossed buns from that song they gave us our first recorder-flute-thing lesson on in elementary school. Useful for when Mary Had A Little Lamb is too difficult. I'm not sure I ever ate one. The bun, not a lamb. Come to think of it, why isn't hot crossed lambs a thing? Seems more religious, somehow

 

[TribbleFeeder]

Now. Now is too early.

 

[Oddish]

I doubt the hot cross buns were being sold for Easter... something like Valentine's day chocolates or Easter plushies might be sold this time of year, since their shelf life is months for the chocolate and indefinite for the plushies. But a baked good like hot cross buns would need to be consumed within days of purchase.

 

[Pondwater]

Gee whiz that kid just had a birthday.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Gee whiz that kid just had a birthday.

No that kid wasn't born on Dec 25 but sometime in April but people changed it to Dec 25 because it was not convenient

 

[fireproof78]

it's mainly the thought of a food item intending to symbolize death and embalming

I would not recommend researching Passover traditional foods and their symbolism then

Also, in my opinion Valentine's Day should come first, and then Easter stuff.

 

[Oddish]

When Rome adopted Christianity as its primary religion, it chose to integrate the festival of the birth of the Christ Child into with an existing Roman festival (the winter solstice).

 

[Non Sync]

Nothing like celebrating a birthday like displaying the instrument of the newborn's death.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

When Rome adopted Christianity as its primary religion, it chose to integrate the festival of the birth of the Christ Child into with an existing Roman festival (the winter solstice).

In other words convenience

 

[fireproof78]

Nothing like celebrating a birthday like displaying the instrument of the newborn's death.

When that is their purpose yes.

 

[Avro Arrow]

When Rome adopted Christianity as its primary religion, it chose to integrate the festival of the birth of the Christ Child into with an existing Roman festival (the winter solstice).

Early Christianity was apparently the first Microsoft. Embrace, extend and extinguish!