Internet Culture

Bakery apologizes after replacing baby Jesus with sausage roll in Advent calendar

This advent calendar is not Kosher.

Photo of David Britton

David Britton

sausage nativity

Greggs, the largest bakery chain in the United Kingdom, wanted to do something special for the holidays. So they created their own advent calendar. Instead of the usual chocolate treats though, the calendar features coupons that can be torn off and taken into Greggs in exchange for different menu items, including their popular sausage roll.

Featured Video

Advertisement

Just one problem. In an attempt to inject a little humor into the holidays, the calendar featured a picture of a Nativity scene where the baby Jesus was replaced by a sausage roll, a move that left some Christians upset and others calling for a boycott. Simon Richards, chief executive of the Freedom Association ( a group which describes itself as a “non-partisan, centre-right, libertarian pressure group”) accused the bakery chain of being “cowards” and recommended they donate their profits to the Salvation Army.

Advertisement

https://twitter.com/mattchilds90/status/931068515532136449

Advertisement

“This seems very disrespectful towards the Nativity scene,” said Rev Mark Edwards, the vicar at St Matthew’s Church in Dinnington and St Cuthbert’s Church, in Brunswick, “I would have thought Greggs was better than that, and I think if they tried that with any other faith you can imagine the outcry there would be, and rightly so.”

Other people seemed to think the picture, and the subsequent outrage, was pretty funny. Some even tried fanning the flames a bit.

Advertisement

Advertisement

https://twitter.com/csi_bletchley/status/930845291800129536

https://twitter.com/Gazzardinho/status/930796172268187648

For its part, Greggs has officially apologized: “We’re really sorry to have caused any offense, this was never our intention,” said a spokesperson for the company.

They currently have no plans to withdraw the calendar, which sells for £24 ($32 U.S.).

Advertisement

H/T the Guardian

 
The Daily Dot