Nine in ten Easter eggs won’t say ‘EASTER’ on the packaging sparking uproar as Church blasts ‘cynical’ shops
NINE in ten Easter eggs no longer has the word “Easter” on the front of their packaging, we can reveal today.
Seventy million sold this year will carry no mention of the festival on the front of boxes.
Major shops and chocolate egg makers behind the move have been branded “cynical” by the Church.
Our probe found that only two of 82 eggs sold at a Sainsbury’s in Halifax mentioned Easter on the face of boxes.
All 22 home brand items at a Hotel Chocolat in London’s Waterloo rail station omitted the word.
At a nearby WHSmith only two in eight eggs on sale mentioned Easter on the front of packaging.
Marks & Spencer sells “Dippy Eggs” for £10 and “Alfie Bunny” eggs for £6. Neither mentions Easter on its box. Green & Black’s has moved the word to the side of packets.
Cadbury said Easter was “prominently displayed” on its eggs, and Green & Black’s said it always used the word in marketing.
Sainsbury’s said its eggs were “clearly labelled as part of our Easter range”. Nestlé said there was an “automatic” association between eggs and Easter.
WHY I AM SO SAD ABOUT THIS
By Elaine Chgwin-Hall, St George’s Church, Stockport
I’M sad about this. It’s heading in the same way as Happy Holidays instead of Happy Christmas.
Eggs signify Jesus is risen and help tell the story. Why not put Easter on the front of eggs?
Why do people buy them? Because it’s Easter. So why hide that?
Other faiths are not as bothered what people think. I think we’re becoming too apologetic.
Catholic priest David Palmer, from Nottingham, said: “If firms want to sell chocolate eggs all year, fine, but they’re marketing them at Easter so not to mention Easter is cynical.”
He said those who celebrate Easter “for the correct reasons” may stop buying eggs.
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