Nothing to do with that rather pleasing bit of Delius, but I wondered if this was in fact the first sighting of Hot Cross Buns in the UK this year?.I found them yesterday evening, 10th January, at the Co-op in Bourton-on-the-Water, where the promotion stand was right beside the reduced price Christmas puddings etc.
It would suggest that my "when to celebrate Epiphany" dilemma is nothing but self-indulgence. Let's leap straight from birth to crucifixion, because that's the way of the shopping basket.
I'm wondering (with maybe half a grain of seriousness) if there's scope for some sort of "fresh expression of church" based entirely around the retail calendar, with foodie stations scattered around the store, and through the year. After all, these reminders of Good Friday are the very first thing shoppers encounter as they go through the supermarket doors. Maybe I ought to approach the Co-op with a suggestion that their display includes an explanation of the cross...
Neh, wrong perspective:
ReplyDeleteYou can have a couple now, before Lent takes away all the fun! YAY!
My husband was brought up as a Methodist and remembers back in the dark ages when bible reading was common in state primary schools how surprised he was when the Anglican teacher read the stories in their "proper order" at how quickly Jesus grew up. Personally I'm trying to hang on to the baby Jesus for now (not having got into the Christmas spirit at all this year until half way through your Midnight sermon) and have him grow up rather slowly at first, and then plunge into Easter from Ash Wednesday onwards.
ReplyDeleteIn answer to your question, you could always try with the co-op. It might make them think, although if they did I think they'd probably chicken out and try to fill in time with Chinese New Year instead.
My son eats hot cross buns for breakfast all year round - they're always obtainable somewhere!
ReplyDeleteWell I think you should try it. It would be interesting to hear what they say!
ReplyDeleteThey were prominently displayed on January 2nd in one of the Sainsbury's in Sheffield...
ReplyDeleteOh yes. I'm sure I saw them in our Sainsbury's back in October or November, so I reckon they must have become all-year round commodities. But isn't that just plain stupid, idiotic and downright EVIL? How can a season be special if you have it all year round? Imagine having Christmas lasting from September to December. Oh, wait a minute, that's what we do have.
ReplyDeleteI see hot cross buns side by side with mince pies - it makes me want to throw them at somebody & ask for an explanation.... Nobody has a clue about the significance of Hot CROSS Buns any more - but we'd better make the most of them before they are considered politically incorrect and banned by the thought police.
ReplyDeleteAny moment now.....
ooh hot cross buns - I like those even more than mince pies :) and I suspect they have fewer calories.
ReplyDeletePraise God it's weeks before Easter - time to shed some kg as much as anything
I've wondered about letting retailers set the calendar, too.
ReplyDeleteIs there a hidden spiritual agenda underneath their incessant push of products?
We have to make our own hot cross buns here. Nothing appears in our grocery stores or in our bakeries.
Tesco in Quedgely were selling Easter eggs on the 2nd January, and there's no excuse for not knowing that they're to do with Easter...
ReplyDeleteYou could be really subversive and just blutack your own explanation to the hot cross bun display. In fact you could get the whole congregation involved so that as fast as the store takes down the notice (and I'm assuming they would once they spotted it but I could be wrong) another one could go up.
ReplyDeleteSurely the store couldn't suspect your congo (who I imagine as being very respectable looking - all grey hair and tweed suits!!)
On the other hand, you could take it as representative of the immedeate shift from Christmas to St Stephens (though please dont make me talk about him at the moment because I just cut my little section on Stephen Dedalus as a disjointed name and representative of...far too much). Anyway - they give birth astride a grave. He is born with the shadow of the cross hanging over him and then some bloody astrologer goes and tempts fate further by giving him burial balm. "Hi, Jesus? Yeah, a little bird, sorry, star told me this might come in use later on..."
ReplyDelete...or something like that
hope you're alive :S
xxxxx