Popular bakery chain in Pakistan probes employee’s refusal to write ‘Merry Christmas’ on cake

PTI, Dec 23, 2021, 8:19 AM IST

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The management of a popular bakery chain is investigating one of its employees’ refusal to write “Merry Christmas” on a cake purchased by a customer following an uproar on social media, clarifying that it does not discriminate on the basis of religion.

The management of Delizia Bakery said on social media they were investigating the matter after the customer, Celestia Naseem Khan, posted on Facebook that when she bought a cake from the bakery’s Defence Housing Society branch, an employee flatly refused to write “Merry Christmas” on the cake.

The worker apparently told the woman that he was not allowed to write it as he had been given an “order” from the kitchen. The incident led to an uproar on social media with people expressing their shock and anger.

“This is clearly the act of an individual and we do not discriminate on the basis of religion or creed. At the moment we are taking action against him. It was done in an individual capacity and is not company policy,” the bakery management said.

“It may have been done due to lack of education and awareness that ‘Merry Christmas’ means wishing someone a happy Christmas, nothing else,” it said.

This is the second time such an incident has taken place at one of the bakery’s outlets in the area. In 2018, a woman was denied a cake with “Merry Christmas” written on it and told that it was based on “company instructions”. Following that incident, the bakery’s management said it had led to some dismissals.