National Trust drops 'Easter' from its annual Easter egg hunt

The National Trust has dropped the word 'Easter' from its annual Easter egg hunt.

The National Trust has dropped the word 'Easter' from its annual Easter egg hunt.

Every year hundreds of thousands of children search for Easter eggs at National Trust properties. In previous years the event was called an 'Easter Egg Trail' but this year is named 'The Great British Egg Hunt'.

The Church of England has accused the Trust of "airbrushing faith", while Prime Minister Theresa May described the move as "absolutely ridiculous."

'Airbrushing faith from Easter'

Cadbury, which sponsors the event, explained that they wanted to appeal to non-Christians: "We invite people from all faiths and none to enjoy our seasonal treats."

But a Church of England spokesman criticised the decision. "This marketing campaign not only does a disservice to Cadburys but also highlights the folly in airbrushing faith from Easter."

The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, highlighted that John Cadbury was a devout Christian, whose faith motivated his work.

"The Cadburys were Great Quaker industrialists. If people visited Birmingham today in the Cadbury World they will discover how Cadbury’s Christian faith influenced his industrial output," he said.

"He built houses for all his workers, he built a Church, he made provision for schools. It is obvious that for him Jesus and justice were two sides of the one coin. To drop Easter from Cadbury's Easter Egg Hunt in my book is tantamount to spitting on the grave of Cadbury."

'Absolutely ridiculous'

Prime Minister Theresa May commented: "I think the stance they have taken is absolutely ridiculous. I don't know what they are thinking about frankly. Easter's very important... It's a very important festival for the Christian faith for millions across the world."

Cadbury 'responsible'

A spokesman for the National Trust said that Cadbury were responsible for the campaign:

"The National Trust is in no way downplaying the significance of Easter, which is why we put on a huge number of events, activities and walks to bring families together at this time of year. We work closely with Cadbury, who are responsible for the branding and wording of our egg hunt campaign."

Cadbury said that it has included the word 'Easter' in a number of promotional materials, including its website.

Last year Cadbury attracted criticism when it labelled Easter eggs as 'Milk Chocolate Eggs' on the front of its packaging.