For some reason, the holiday season always seems to come with some of the more bizarre controversies out there. Starbucks recently caught some flack for their latest holiday cup controversy, as we've come to expect every year. However, this photo conundrum involving a sausage roll and Baby Jesus takes the Christmas pudding as the strangest of 2017 so far.
Please boycott @GreggsOfficial to protest against its sick anti-Christian Advent Calendar. What cowards these people are: we all know that they would never dare insult other religions! They should donate every penny of their profits to @salvationarmyuk https://t.co/tAV7CRP7WM
— Simon Richards (@simplysimontfa) November 15, 2017
Greggs, a British bakery chain, released a series of photos to promote their annual coupon Advent calendar. Included in the set of photos was the iconic Nativity scene, but with a curious twist. The three wise men were offering up their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh not to the newborn King, but to a partially eaten sausage roll.
Of course, several groups were quick to blast the image as "anti-Christian" and called for a boycott of Greggs as a result.
The hoof prints of Satan are all over this 'Christ-as-sausage-roll' debacle. I've just realised that Jesus spelt backwards is Susej - that's sausage phonetically. It's like Greggs are playing their Judas Priest records backwards. Call an exorcist pic.twitter.com/StfV66qsVB
— NeilMackay (@NeilMackay) November 16, 2017
Anti-Christian bigotry & christianophobic jokes are the most acceptable form of bigotry these days. UK bakery chain @GreggsOfficial replaced baby Jesus with sausage roll in nativity scene. They have now apologized but only after they were called out...https://t.co/tiYzdF94qm
— Obianuju Ekeocha (@obianuju) November 16, 2017
Many people, including Christians, actually found the photo and ensuing controversy to be over the top hilarious.
Greggs replaced Jesus with a Sausage Roll.
Nothing but respect for my lord and savoury. — JP OHFUCKITSNANOWRIMO (@TheJPBradley) November 15, 2017
I’m a Christian. I love Jesus. I’m not offended by a sausage roll. I save my offence for injustice, hate, exclusion, greed. #greggs
— Elaine Lindridge (@elainelindridge) November 15, 2017
Not sure what all the ‘Greggs the Baker depicts Jesus as a sausage roll’ fuss is all about. Last time I ate one, it came back dramatically 3 days later too.
— Stansaid Airport (@StansaidAirport) November 16, 2017
This will never not make me laugh: "Greggs sorry for swapping Jesus for sausage roll in nativity scene"https://t.co/E9lCkNiNUy
— Hux Bear (@HuxBear) November 16, 2017
In a statement to The Northern Echo, Greggs apologized for the inadvertent Baby Jesus sausage roll mishap, saying "We’re really sorry to have caused any offence, this was never our intention."
