A popular high street baker has apologised for using a sausage roll to depict the baby Jesus in a manger. The publicity stunt by Greggs has caused uproar around the country with people taking to Facebook and Twitter to vent their anger and disgust.
However, no harm was meant by the act, it was meant in good spirits to promote Greggs' advent calendar, yet many have taken offence to the campaign, point out that Jesus was in fact Jewish and would not have eaten sausage rolls as they are made of pork.
The Yorkshire-based bakery, which has outlets in Burton, Swadlincote and Uttoxeter, released publicity shots in which the Three Wise Men are crowded round the popular pastry, rather than the son of God, in a classic nativity scene, the Mirror reports.
The publicity shots are of the classic nativity scene in which the Three Wise Men are crowded around the much-loved pastry, rather than Jesus.
It moved some people to question: should sausage rolls be in any way included in marking the 2,000-year-old holy birth of Jesus Christ?
Beth Rosenberg thinks not, and tweeted: "Out of interest do you think the people at Greggs understand that Jesus was Jewish and serving up a pork sausage roll in the manger is unbelievably inappropriate?"
James Mather added: "I'm no prude, but equating Jesus, a Jew, to a sausage roll really is deeply offensive on all sorts of levels."
Jesus portrayed as a sausage roll was not the only image Greggs created this Christmas. The company has also released a picture of Santa with pastry stuck in his beard, a Greggs shop in a snow globe, and a woman preparing to kiss what looks like a chicken slice under some mistletoe.
Despite a number of people taking issue with sausage roll Jesus, most people have found humour in the image, the Northern Echo first reported.
Greggs has, however, apologised to those who view its nativity scene unfavourably, and said in a statement: "We are really sorry to have caused any offence, this was never our intention."
