Far too early for Easter buns

I WALKED into a supermarket on Saturday to be confronted by a stand of hotcross buns. It is all very well to say people want them. They only want them because they can see them. Doesn’t anyone realise Christmas has not finished? By tradition there are 12 days of Christmas, whether or not the song has sent you crackers, and Twelfth Night always falls on January 6. By tradition that is when decorations are taken down, or else remain up for 12 months to stave away bad luck. Australia is purported to basically be a Christian country. People new to Australia must be totally confused. They must wonder what these buns are with crosses on them.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 14. Christian tradition has it you feast on Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day, February 13, then give up something you like for 40 days and 40 nights, to mark the time Christ spent in the desert before going to Jerusalem. After this Christ was sent to die on the cross. To remind us we have hot-cross buns on Good Friday, March 30, then Easter is celebrated with eggs to signify the new beginning of the Christian year on Easter Sunday, which will be on April 1. That is three months away. What happened to the nice glazed fruit bun? Why not enjoy those between now and Easter? So many traditions are pushed aside in the name of money. Can’t we just maintain at least the principal Christian feasts and traditions? agree and respect their decision, however to penalise Wild Oats one hour, was in my view very excessive considering the timing in Sydney Harbour against the following gruelling hours of endurance, skill and ability. I congratulate James Spithill and his crew for a great race but the owners are responsible for a very hollow victory. Sometimes rules get in the way of common sense and, for me, Wild Oats deserves to be true line honour winners. venue. Thank you to the Taste for helping this happen, and especially to the Moonshine Aviators for bringing it to fruition.