Supermarket giants Woolworths and Coles first came under fire for stocking Easter hot cross buns just one day after Christmas.
And despite being two days into the new year, Australians have yet to forgive both companies for the seemingly innocent decision.
Daily Mail Australia released an online poll on Monday afternoon, asking readers whether January 1 was too early to be selling the sticky sweet bun.
Over 75 per cent of voters (381 votes) said ‘yes’, the New Year is too early to be selling the Easter buns, when the holiday is not until April.
Supermarket giants Woolworths and Coles first came under fire for stocking Easter hot cross buns just one day after Christmas
Grocery giants Coles (pictured) and Woolworths began selling the delicious sweet buns only one day after Christmas
Photos of the first batches of hot cross buns for 2018 have already surfaced on Reddit, showing a baking stand full of the sticky buns
However, while Easter may not be for another four months, the remaining 25 per cent of voters (127 votes) said they don’t mind the buns being sold from January.
Voters took their displeasure and their happiness with the supermarkets to the comments section, angry at the companies for not allowing a break between yearly festivities.
Although both supermarkets have said the early stock of hot cross buns is due to demand, many slammed the stores for ‘cashing in’ on the Christian holiday.
‘Come on Coles… Are you serious!!!!!! It is New Years Eve 2017… Easter is not till April… 4 MONTHS away.. This is ridiculous,’ one irate woman wrote to Coles with an accompanying photo of hot cross buns.
Over 75 per cent of voters (381 votes) said ‘yes’, the New Year is too early to be selling the Easter buns, when the holiday is not until April
However, while Easter may not be for another four months, the remaining 25 per cent of voters (127 votes) said they don’t mind the buns being sold from January
Disgruntled shoppers have taken to Facebook to express their disappointment with the supermarket giants
This woman was quite upset with Coles’ decision to stock hot cross buns on NYE
‘I love hot cross buns, the least you could do is leave off the cross and just call them spiced fruit buns for a few months. I would buy them, but not as they stand. Every year Christmas and Easter products are coming out earlier and earlier. Be better than the rest and stop devaluing our special holidays,’ another said.
More comments echoed the same sentiment, telling the supermarkets to sell the buns under another name until Easter.
‘They are yummier than normal fruit buns I say sell them all year round…they have nothing to do with religion,’ one person wrote.
The official date for hot cross buns to hit the shelves in Woolworths is January 2, a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
However, many shoppers agreed they are happy to buy the buns as early as January
Many shoppers seemed to understand the demand for the sweet treats but were still frustrated at the supermarkets
‘Come on Coles… Are you serious!!!!!! It is New Years Eve 2017… Easter is not till April… 4 MONTHS away.. This is ridiculous,’ one irate woman wrote to Coles with an accompanying photo of hot cross buns
‘With Easter earlier this year, we know many of our bakers have been hopping to meet their customers requests to get their favourite hot cross buns back on the shelves,’ they said.
Photos of the first batches of hot cross buns for 2018 have already surfaced on Reddit, showing a baking stand full of the sticky buns.
Many shoppers seemed to understand the demand for the sweet treats but were still frustrated at the supermarkets.
‘Any excuse to eat a yeast bun. Way early to be selling but there must be a demand,’ one woman said.
While another said: ‘Sell them year round we’ll soon stop buying them.’
Meanwhile, dozens of satisfied customers were quick to thank the supermarket for the early arrival of the Easter buns.
‘They should be around whenever,’ one shopper said, while others agreed they are happy to buy the buns as early as January.
One day after Christmas Woolworths has been slammed for selling hot cross buns (pictured)
‘It is ridiculous, they are just a delicious bun that you should sell all year round. We buy and eat packs every week up until Easter and then until whatever we have stored in the freezer runs out,’ one man wrote.
A Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia while the buns are being stocked at some stores, the official date for the sweet treat to hit the shelves is January 2.
Ten million hot cross buns were sold in January last year at Woolworths with the store introducing a new variety in 2018.
Woolworths are stocking the buns, leaving a trail of divided opinions towards the sweet treat
Woolworths responded saying there is a ‘high demand … as soon as the new year starts’