It's the time of year again for Christmas shopping.  However, if you are hoping to buy your Christmas cake from Sainsburys, (in store), you won't find one!

Their own-brand cakes in the Christmas display sections, in Lancaster's main store, and also in Garstang, in Lancashire, aimed for the Christmas market, are simply labelled 'Iced Fruit Cake' or 'Rich Fruit Cake', etc.  I assume this is the same in other Sainsburys' stores around the rest of the country.  Even though the iced cakes have snowflakes or Christmas tree-added icing, you won't find the word 'Christmas' on their Christmas cakes!  (There was only a small token selection of 'Mr Kipling 6 Christmas Slices').  This has been going on for several years, but year-by-year, there is less and less emphasis on the real meaning of Christmas, as reflected by the removal of any mention of Christmas on their products.  (An exception is their Christmas puddings).

So now, Sainsburys are in the position of selling Christ-less Christmas cakes, devoid of the name and true meaning of Christmas.  But presumably this won't be by accident.  This will be by design.  And it's offensive.  It won't wash to say, "Oh well, we don't want to offend anybody by putting the word 'Christmas' on our products and anyway, not everybody believes in Christmas."  But you ARE offending Christians and this a Christian festival!  There should be a full range on sale IN STORE.

As an act of protest and principle, I will not be buying any 'festive season' cake from Sainsburys at this season, but will shop around at other stores, until I find a cake that is unashamedly called a 'Christmas Cake'!  Otherwise, I would be complicit in what seems to be Sainsbury's policy to exclude the word 'Christmas' from their cakes and supporting this godless policy, financially.  When I complained to a member of staff in my main Sainsburys store in Lancaster, he had noticed the lack of wording and agreed with me!  I've also rung Sainsburys on 0800 636262, to pass on my comments to Sainsburys' management.  Additionally, I am contacting the Church of England Newspaper, the Church Times, Catholic Herald, Methodist Recorder,  Baptist Times, the Federation of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) and the Assemblies of God to alert them of this petition.  Also the secular press.

Since launching this petition, a friend has checked Sainsburys website and found that there are actually items advertised as 'Christmas Cakes' online.  However, in the attached photos of the products in the online store, only two of these products seem to have packaging that call themselves, 'Christmas Cake'.  One is a 'Christmas Cake' at £5.50, the other is '9 Christmas Cake Bites' at £2.50, both of which are gluten free.  One of the other products, though headed as a 'Christmas Cake' in the description, is actually labelled, 'Rich Fruit Cake' on the packaging.  It is £6.00.  But this still leaves the issue that cakes sold in store are still not labelled as being 'Christmas Cakes', neither on the packaging or on the shelf labels.  Strangely, as mentioned, you will find 'Christmas Puddings' in store (correctly labelled), next to these cakes.

So I would urge you dear reader, to please sign this petition to ask that Sainsburys management re-consider their position over this matter and make the brave and wise decision to reinstate the word 'Christmas' on their Christmas cakes.

We celebrate Christmas in order to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, in Bethlehem in Judea, sometime around 2020 years ago.  He came, as the Son of God, filled with the Holy Spirit, to save us from our sins and guilty consciences and give us new life, as children of a loving heavenly Father, to find our true identities, purpose and destiny.  He died for us on the Cross, rose again and is alive today, still seeking those who will follow Him!  Let us honour Christ and let Sainsbury's honour the true meaning of Christmas and the wishes of Christians of all denominations in this nation, by reinstating one simple word - 'Christmas' - on their cakes!