“There’s a creepy problem with mince pies. It goes deeper than hot cross buns”

Key points

• Author argues mince pies signal consumer frenzy beyond Easter pastries.
• The piece compares the pie to sign stimuli in animal behaviour.
• It links seasonal pies to rising carbon emissions and landfill waste.
• Psychoanalyst Adam Phillips is quoted on happiness and frustration.
• The author pledges to buy sustainable goods and reduce waste this season.