Palestinian Baker Goes Viral After Inventing 'Corona Cake' Design

Palestinian baker Eyad Abu Rezqa says he wants to raise awareness - and spirits - with his 'corona cake'. AFP
Palestinian baker Eyad Abu Rezqa says he wants to raise awareness - and spirits - with his 'corona cake'. AFP
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Palestinian Baker Goes Viral After Inventing 'Corona Cake' Design

Palestinian baker Eyad Abu Rezqa says he wants to raise awareness - and spirits - with his 'corona cake'. AFP
Palestinian baker Eyad Abu Rezqa says he wants to raise awareness - and spirits - with his 'corona cake'. AFP

As the world tries to raise awareness everyday over the risks of coronavirus, Palestinian baker Eyad Abu Rezqa had his own plans to convince people to stay at home.

Abu Rezqa, who is also head of the Al-Nada bakery in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, has created a 'corona cake' depicting a woman wearing a blue face mask aiming to remind people of the importance of social distancing.

First, he posted the design on social media and now dozens of people are ordering them each day.

Abu Rezqa stressed he was not belittling the risk of the deadly disease which has killed more than 50,000 people but trying to keep spirits up while promoting awareness.

"Straight away it got great interest, customers starting saying 'I want that cake'," Abu Rezqa told AFP.

"Every day our clients' demand for the mask cake is increasing."

The staff making the cakes are wearing protective clothing, he pointed out.

So far Gaza has 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19, all of whom are in isolation, according to health authorities.

Like other countries around the world, authorities have put in place strict social distancing rules to try to prevent contagion but have not yet closed all non-essential businesses.



3 Elves Are Cycling from German Town to Finland's Santa Claus Village

Santa Claus hands a postal envelope to the three Post employees Simone Nehring, from left, Artur Hajduk and Ralf Schüttler in St. Nikolaus, Germany, Saturday Aug. 9, 2025 as they prepare to set off on their bicycles to visit Santa Claus in Lapland in northern Finland where they want to cover almost 3,000 km to hand over the wish lists they have collected to Santa Claus. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)
Santa Claus hands a postal envelope to the three Post employees Simone Nehring, from left, Artur Hajduk and Ralf Schüttler in St. Nikolaus, Germany, Saturday Aug. 9, 2025 as they prepare to set off on their bicycles to visit Santa Claus in Lapland in northern Finland where they want to cover almost 3,000 km to hand over the wish lists they have collected to Santa Claus. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)
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3 Elves Are Cycling from German Town to Finland's Santa Claus Village

Santa Claus hands a postal envelope to the three Post employees Simone Nehring, from left, Artur Hajduk and Ralf Schüttler in St. Nikolaus, Germany, Saturday Aug. 9, 2025 as they prepare to set off on their bicycles to visit Santa Claus in Lapland in northern Finland where they want to cover almost 3,000 km to hand over the wish lists they have collected to Santa Claus. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)
Santa Claus hands a postal envelope to the three Post employees Simone Nehring, from left, Artur Hajduk and Ralf Schüttler in St. Nikolaus, Germany, Saturday Aug. 9, 2025 as they prepare to set off on their bicycles to visit Santa Claus in Lapland in northern Finland where they want to cover almost 3,000 km to hand over the wish lists they have collected to Santa Claus. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)

Santa's elves start early in Germany.

Three postal workers set off Saturday on their nearly 3,000-kilometer (1,860-mile) bicycle journey from St. Nikolaus, Germany, to the small town of Rovaniemi, Finland, which is home to Santa Claus Village, according to German news agency dpa.

The cyclists are traveling north to bring letters and Christmas wish lists addressed to Santa Claus from St. Nikolaus, in Germany’s Saarland state, to the winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle.

St. Nikolaus himself, with his long purple cape and a tall golden staff, was on hand Saturday to hand over the letters to the three elves. The trip will take roughly two weeks as the three cycle through Germany, Denmark and Sweden en route to Finland, dpa reported.

The group is among the Deutsche Post volunteers who answer letters from children worldwide — more than 30,000 annually — that are addressed to the St. Nikolaus post office, which has its own postal code.

The tradition dates back to 1967, and each reply features a special stamp.

The town of St. Nikolaus is one of seven places in Germany with a Christmas-themed name, all of which receive letters addressed to Santa Claus or Saint Nick.

This year, St. Nikolaus handed over his own wish list to the cyclists, dpa reported.

He's hoping for a reply from Santa Claus in Finland.