So Cadbury, Britain’s tastiest success story, a small family business selling coffee and cocoa drinks which grew to become one of the world’s most renowned chocolatiers, stands accused of defiling Easter. Two thousand years ago Jesus died to save our sins, and no matter how sticky or jumped up on sugar, lest you or I or indeed any of us forget.
In collaboration with National Trust properties around Britain, for ten years Cadbury has organised an annual Easter egg hunt. Previously dubbed the ‘Easter Egg Trail’, this year it has been promoted as ‘Cadbury’s Great British Egg Hunt’, and the removal of the word ‘Easter’ has churchgoers and anti-political correctness activists even more than usual mightily upset.
The Prime Minister, Theresa May, numbers herself among the agitatedly devoted. Embarking on a trip to Saudi Arabia, she took time out from the prospect of arms dealing and enabling a humanitarian crisis in Yemen to condemn what really matters, squalling:
‘I’m not just a vicar’s daughter – I’m a member of the National Trust as well! I think the stance they have taken is absolutely ridiculous! I don’t know what they are thinking about frankly. Easter’s very important. It’s a very important festival for the Christian faith for millions across the world.’
Not as important as chocolate treats however, and thank goodness after the fiascoes concerning cheeses and Toblerones, Marmite and preserved fruits and Prosecco and courgettes, nothing has happened to curtail or foreshorten everyone’s favourite, the Cadbury Creme Egg.
Of course as any theologian familiar with David Strauss, Albert Schweitzer, and the quest for the historical Jesus well knows, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour really did resurrect himself on the third day, only in mundane fashion, eating his way free from his chocolatey tomb.
That’s right, the soil of his tomb was full of mineral-rich cocoa powder! How thoughtful of Joseph of Arimathea, and his friend Nicodemus, a culinary expert! And just as Jesus gobbled his way past that intimidating boulder, we today feast for ourselves on chocolate rounds, cracking those eggs open and poof! – our bellies are full and a miracle of sorts has occurred.
Citing the faith of the company’s founder, Archbishop of York John Sentamu said dropping ‘Easter’ from the ‘Egg Hunt’ was ‘tantamount to spitting on the grave of Cadbury’. But John Cadbury’s great-great-great-great-granddaughter pointed out that as a Quaker, he didn’t celebrate Easter, believing every day to be as sacred as the last.
Cadbury and the National Trust noted that their promotional material was otherwise replete with the word ‘Easter’. But who has time to read or think when wrappers are ready to be opened and the lure of chocolate calls? The excitement is palpable, the joy of the scent ineffable, mouths water and tongues swirl and we variously let the chocolate dissolve or begin to chew. And in accordance with the scriptures – more chocolate for dessert!
