People in Britain are now too busy for basic everyday rituals, with peeling an orange high on the list of being just too much effort.

Many consumers consider oranges to be too big, messy and inconvenient for human fingers.

The Independent newspaper reports that the citrus fruit, which was introduced to British kitchens a thousand years ago, has fallen victim to the hectic pace of most modern lifestyles.

But the orange is not the only candidate for the endangered traditions list. Others include lunch, handwritten letters and washing the car yourself.

They are being replaced by ‘al desko’ snacks in offices, emails and drive through car-washes. Even British tea traditions are giving way to the international method of jabbing a tea-bag with a spoon ‘until it’s dead’.

The article says more people need to slow down to relax and enjoy life rather then simply gallop through it.