Thank you Easter bunny…Bauk! Bauk!
Where and when did all those treats come from? Maybe a better question is…How did candy and treats become associated with Easter?
The origin of special Easter treats began with the “Hot Cross Bun.” Around the 13th
Century, a monk named Father Thomas Rockcliffe decided that this bun could be an excellent marketing piece for the budding Christian religion. So he gave them away to the poor on Good Friday each year. A Hot Cross Bun is about the size of a Krystal/Whitecastle bun with two stripes of icing in the shape of a cross on the top.
Then in another stroke of marketing genius around the 16th century, the Christian church introduced the baked pretzel as another Pope-approved food tradition on Good Friday. Originally developed in 610 AD, the pretzel was purposely designed to represent the crossing of the arms in prayer. Perhaps the church realized how well the Hot Cross Bun did as a recruiting tool, so they decided to freshen up the religious based food line. After almost 300 years of hot cross buns, it was probably time to introduce something new…The public can be fickle you know!
By the early 1800’s the tradition of special treats during the Easter holidays was pretty much set in stone. Now, no longer just a Christian tradition, it was then taken to the next level with the introduction of chocolate eggs. The first chocolate eggs were solid and came from Germany and France.
As chocolate making technologies matured the chocolate egg transitioned into other Easter symbols. Around the 1930’s the jelly bean was added to the growing list. Following the jelly bean, the marshmallow sensations, Peeps, were born. Finally in 1971, Cadbury introduced the crème filled chocolate eggs for the first time.
I am still waiting for the insect filled candies by HotLix to catch on as an Easter hit. They actually have a line of candies that are shaped like butterflies with real insects and flowers inside. Personally, I don't quite understand what the attraction of this type of candy would be, I guess it's mostly based on a dare of some sort. Although, I did read in Discover magazine
the other day that unlike most other countries, the US is way behind when it comes to consuming insects. Supposedly, ants taste sweet and grasshoppers have a slight peanut buttery aftertaste. Um...yuck? I think I'll stick to nuts and berries...
Kids seem to enjoy this insect laced candy, so you can find them here if you are interested:
http://www.hotlix.com/insect_candy/insect_candy.html
So what can be learned from all this?
Whether you are starting a new religion, new business or want to expand your customer base, it appears that the best way to get people talking about you is give away food that looks like it relates to what you have to offer. J
I hope you had an excellent Easter weekend.
Sincerely,
Shawn R Pearson
Web Marketing Manager
EBSCO Reception Room Subscription Services
http://www.ebscomags.com
