The History And Meaning Of Easter Eggs: Origins, Symbolism & Traditions

Have you ever wondered about the true Easter eggs meaning? Long before they were made of chocolate and hidden in gardens, eggs were profound ancient symbols of rebirth and spring. For Christians, Easter egg symbolism represents the sealed tomb and the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. From the royal courts of King Edward I to the legendary red egg of Mary Magdalene, discover the fascinating history of Easter eggs, the true origin of the Easter egg tradition, and exactly why we decorate Easter eggs to celebrate this joyful season.

Syed Ayan Mojib

Published on: 28 March 2026 

OUTLOOK INDIA

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The History And Meaning Of Easter Eggs: Origins, Symbolism & Traditions

When we think of Easter, a few familiar images instantly come to mind: colourful spring blooms, playful bunnies, and, most iconically, beautifully decorated eggs. Whether they are carefully painted, intricately designed, or made of chocolate and hidden for a festive hunt, they are a cherished part of the holiday. But what is the true meaning of Easter eggs, and how did this practice begin? Beyond their bright colours lies a fascinating story. By exploring the history of Easter eggs and the origin of the Easter eggs tradition, we uncover a beautiful blend of ancient spring festivals, profound Easter egg symbolism, and evolving cultural practices.

What Do Easter Eggs Really Mean?

At its heart, the egg has long been a universal symbol of new life, renewal, and fertility. This meaning existed well before Christianity, tracing back to ancient spring festivals that celebrated the end of winter and the rebirth of nature. The image of a chick emerging from an egg naturally came to represent fresh beginnings and the cycle of life.

With the rise of Christianity, this powerful symbol was given a deeper spiritual meaning. For Christians, the Easter egg represents the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The hard shell is seen as a symbol of the sealed tomb, while cracking the egg signifies Jesus rising from the dead, bringing with it hope, renewal, and the promise of eternal life.

In many traditions, eggs are also dyed in vibrant colours, especially red, which symbolizes the blood shed by Christ during the crucifixion. Over time, these symbolic practices blended with local customs, eventually evolving into the joyful Easter egg traditions we see today, where meaning, faith, and celebration come together in one simple yet powerful symbol.

Why Are Eggs Part of Easter?

The connection between eggs and Easter developed over centuries, blending ancient customs with Christian practices. Long before the rise of Christianity, many cultures celebrated spring festivals around the time of the vernal equinox. These festivals often focused on fertility and the return of light and life after winter, and symbols like eggs and rabbits (known for their prolific breeding) were likely used in these celebrations. As Christianity spread, it often incorporated existing pagan symbols and traditions, adapting them to fit Christian narratives. The egg, with its potent symbolism of new life, was a natural fit for celebrating the resurrection, the ultimate story of new life in Christian belief.

There was also a very practical reason rooted in religious observance. For centuries, Christians traditionally abstained from eating certain foods, including eggs, meat, and dairy products, during Lent – the 40-day period of fasting and repentance leading up to Easter. However, hens continued to lay eggs throughout this period. By the time Easter Sunday arrived, households often had a large surplus of eggs. What better way to celebrate the end of the fast and the joyous occasion of Easter than by decorating, sharing, and feasting on these accumulated eggs? This practical necessity helped solidify the egg's place as a staple of Easter celebrations.

Legends and Royals: The History of Easter Eggs

The origin of the Easter egg tradition is also steeped in fascinating legends and royal history. One of the most famous stories in early Christianity involves Mary Magdalene. According to Eastern Orthodox tradition, Mary attended a banquet hosted by Emperor Tiberius Caesar. She held up a plain egg and proclaimed, "Christ is risen!" The Emperor laughed, stating that Christ rising from the dead was as likely as the egg in her hand turning red. Miraculously, the egg immediately turned a brilliant red, cementing the tradition of dyeing eggs for Easter.

Historically, the practice of gifting decorated eggs can be traced back to the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded instances was in 1290, when King Edward I of England ordered 450 eggs to be covered in gold leaf and decorated. These luxurious eggs were presented as Easter gifts to the royal household, sparking a tradition of elaborate egg gifting that would eventually lead to the creation of the famous, jewel-encrusted Fabergé eggs in the 19th century.

The Ancient Art of Pysanky

When asking why we decorate Easter eggs, one cannot ignore the breathtaking Ukrainian tradition of Pysanky. Unlike standard dyeing, Pysanky involves a complex wax-resist method where intricate folk motifs and geometric patterns are drawn onto the eggshell using beeswax before dipping it into various dyes. These eggs are not meant to be eaten but are preserved as powerful talismans, believed to ward off evil and bring prosperity, showcasing how deeply Easter egg symbolism is woven into global cultures.

How Do You Prepare Easter Eggs?

The most common way involves real chicken eggs:

1. Hard-Boil Them: Cook the eggs in boiling water until the inside (yolk and white) is solid. This stops them from breaking easily and makes them safe to handle (and eat later if you keep them cold!).

2. Let Them Cool: Make sure the eggs are cool before you decorate them.

3. Decorate! This is the fun part:

   • Dyeing: Use special Easter egg dye kits you can buy at the store. You mix colours with water and vinegar, then dip the eggs in.

   • Painting: Use non-toxic paints to paint designs on the shells.

   • Crayons: Draw on the warm, hard-boiled egg with crayons (the wax melts a bit onto the shell). You can even dye them after drawing for cool effects.

   • Stickers: Use Easter-themed stickers.

Nowadays, many "Easter eggs" are also chocolate eggs (often hollow and filled with candy) or plastic eggs that you can open and fill with small treats or toys.

What Do People Do With Easter Eggs?

Easter eggs are the centrepiece of many joyful springtime activities:

• Easter Egg Hunts: Grown-ups hide decorated eggs (real, chocolate, or plastic) around the house or garden, and children race to fill their baskets.

• Egg Rolling: A popular tradition, most famously hosted at the White House, where children use long spoons to roll decorated hard-boiled eggs down a grassy hill.

• Egg Tapping (or Egg Fights): A traditional game where two people hold a hard-boiled egg and tap them together. The person whose eggshell remains uncracked wins!

• Festive Decorations: Beautifully painted eggs serve as stunning centrepieces for the Easter dinner table or are hung on decorative Easter trees.

• Sweet Treats: Let’s not forget eating them! While hard-boiled eggs are enjoyed as a breakfast treat, hollow chocolate eggs filled with candy remain a global favourite.

From ancient fertility symbols to representations of Christian resurrection, and from simple dyed hen's eggs to elaborate chocolate creations, the Easter egg has journeyed through history, adapting and accumulating layers of meaning. Whether you're decorating them, hunting for them, or simply enjoying a sweet treat, Easter eggs remain a powerful and joyful symbol of new beginnings, hope, and the enduring spirit of spring. Happy Easter!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why do we decorate Easter eggs?

We decorate Easter eggs to celebrate new life and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Historically, Christians painted eggs bright colours to mark the end of the strict Lenten fast, turning a practical food surplus into a joyful, vibrant celebration.

2. What is the Easter egg symbolism in Christianity?

In Christianity, the Easter egg symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus. The hard outer shell represents the sealed tomb of Christ, and the cracking of the egg represents Jesus rising from the dead and the promise of eternal life.

3. What does a red Easter egg mean?

In Orthodox Christian traditions, Easter eggs are dyed a deep red to symbolize the blood shed by Jesus Christ during his crucifixion on the cross.

4. Who invented the Easter egg hunt?

The Easter egg hunt is widely believed to have originated in Germany. Protestant reformer Martin Luther is said to have organized egg hunts for his congregation, where men hid eggs for women and children to find, symbolizing the discovery of the empty tomb.

 

North Sea Oil Fight Escalates as Starmer Cites Legal Limits

By City A.M - Mar 26, 2026

• Starmer says approval of major North Sea projects is a quasi-judicial decision that must be made by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, not the prime minister.
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• Political pressure is intensifying, with industry leaders and opposition figures urging new drilling to support energy security and domestic supply.
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• Court rulings and climate considerations have complicated approvals, highlighting tensions between economic needs and the U.K.’s renewable energy agenda.
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Sir Keir Starmer has said he doesn’t hold legal powers to approve fresh exploration of North Sea oil and gas fields, with the decision falling in the hands of net zero secretary Ed Miliband.

Starmer said current legislation determined that a quasi-judicial decision relating to cases for more gas extraction at Shell’s Jackdaw site and Equinor’s Rosebank oil field was left to Miliband.

The Prime Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to expanding renewable energy. He said the introduction of fresh legislation would “slow the process down” and accused the leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, of failing to know about the law before raising questions in Parliament.

“Its absolutely clear that the quasi judicial [process] lies with secretary of state,” Starmer said. 

“In the last four weeks, because we are on a fossil fuel rollercoaster, everyone is being held to ransom. 

He added: “The most important thing to get energy security is to make sure we de-escalate the war.”

Starmer backed by Davey

Scottish courts ruled government approvals for more extraction at each field as unlawful on environmental grounds.

The power now falls on the energy secretary to make a decision while considering economic and environmental reasons for projects.

Badenoch accused Starmer of “hiding behind legal process every time” though Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, who served as the energy secretary in the coalition government, said he agreed with the Prime Minister. 

The Tory leader heckled Davey to “stop sucking up”. She also shouted out “you can change the law” and repeated the word “weak” several times. 

Starmer is facing growing pressure to remove restrictions on North Sea oil and gas projects from officials working across clean energy.

Jurgen Maier, who oversees Great British Energy, the publicly owned investment company, said in a post on LinkedIn that more drilling in the region would support a “managed energy transition”, slow job losses and improve tax receipts.

However, he said that energy costs would not be brought down and later emphasised he was “fully supportive” of the government’s position to use existing fields for further exploration.

Prime Minister’s Questions also came just a day after the lobby group Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) called on the government to “urgently” allow new drilling projects to take place. 

Its annual report said much as half of the UK’s liquified natural gas (LNG) will come from international suppliers by 2035. 

David Whitehouse, chief executive of OEUK, said: “As demand rises and electricity use accelerates, weakening domestic supply would only increase our reliance on imported LNG, leaving consumers more exposed to global volatility and higher emissions.”

Political donations from Brits overseas to be capped at £100,000 a year

The final Prime Ministers’ Questions before a two-week Easter break was also mired by controversy as Reform UK MPs stormed out of the chamber on their apparent dissatisfaction with Starmer’s answers. 

Ahead of a statement by communities secretary Steve Reed on Wednesday, Starmer confirmed that political donations made through cryptocurrencies 

The government also confirmed that it would accept a recommendation in the review for political funding from British citizens living abroad to be capped at £100,000 a year. 

This change may jar with Reform UK’s plans to secure more cash ahead of national elections, with major crypto investor Christopher Harborne, who has given the party more than £12m in the last year, being based in Thailand. 

Other recommendations include preventing donations from shell companies by ensuring funding is from post-tax profits rather than revenue and requiring foreign consultant lobbyists to join the official register they are currently exempt from. 

There will also be more stringent checks on the source of funds from political donors.

By City AM

 

Finding Easter eggs in entertainment boosts enjoyment, fan behavior, study finds

Viewers with strong connection to story, characters most likely to notice subtle references to other art; can inform how people enjoy media

University of Kansas

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LAWRENCE — If you’ve watched popular movies or television shows in the last decade, there’s a good chance you’ve found an Easter egg or two: not an actual brightly colored egg but a subtle reference to another movie or story in the form of a character in the background or object that also appears in other stories. 

While fan discussions abound online about what such clues might represent, little research has examined which types of fans are most likely to find them and whether they influence enjoyment.

New research from the University of Kansas has found that people with strong connections to a character or story were more likely to spot Easter eggs, and when they did, it not only heightened their enjoyment, but they were more likely to engage in fan behavior, such as posting about the experience online or rewatching.

Many Pixar fans have spotted the same toy ball showing up in “Toy Story,” “Brave” and “Inside Out,” while Marvel fans have noted Captain America’s shield appearing in “Iron Man” movies. Such instances are common in transnarrative media, or stories told across formats like movies, television shows, video games and books.

“We know Easter eggs are something that people come across and seem to enjoy, so we wanted to better understand how they experienced them and what they meant to them,” said Judy Watts, assistant professor of journalism & mass communications at KU and an author of the study. “But the interesting thing about Easter eggs, at least to us, is that it’s almost like an opt-in experience. You don’t have to look for an Easter egg. You don’t have to correctly identify it. Will the people who do identify them connect them to other media, what is that feeling like for them? Do they enjoy it?”

For the study, Watts and Hannah Wing of Wichita State University surveyed more than 950 people. When participants were asked whether they had found an Easter egg within the past year, 41% responded yes. They were also asked about their level of fandom, if they sought explanations of these subtle or hidden surprises and if they enjoyed the challenge of finding them. 

The study was published in the journal PLOS One.

Results showed that among those who could recall finding an Easter egg, those with parasocial relationships or a connection strong enough to feel part of the story’s world and those who took part in fan behavior also reported higher levels of intrinsic reward and enjoyment upon spotting these subtle clues.

“I felt excited, like I found some hidden treasure. I was also eager to see if anyone else saw the Easter egg/parallel,” one respondent replied.

The findings suggest that filmmakers and storytellers can engage fans in a way that will enhance their enjoyment and engagement with the media without negatively affecting the enjoyment of those who don’t seek out or notice such hidden or subtle references. The clues also can add layers to what might otherwise be considered light fare.

“People were really excited to see an Easter egg, and they felt a sense of pride, which is kind of a cool finding, because it does kind of suggest that something that is really like lighthearted and maybe a popcorn film could be a little cognitively challenging if you chose to make it harder for yourself to watch,” Watts said. “But we also read some comments that people felt like when they found the Easter egg that the creators were doing it for them, like they were being spoken to. So, I think for a certain type of audience, it can be really special to come across one, and you can really feel like you kind of almost like stitched a puzzle together in a way.”

For her part, Watts said she is not good at finding Easter eggs but is intrigued by them both as a researcher and a fan. She said she recently finished the series “Stranger Things” and was as entertained by reading fan theories about the meaning of such subtle callbacks contained in the series as she was by the show itself. 

The study’s findings are not meant to tell film and television makers what sort of content they should or should not include in their work, but to help understand how people enjoy media, Watts said.

Watts and colleagues plan to further study links between exposure to such Easter eggs and viewers’ enjoyment when people are shown examples instead of recalling their own experiences. For now, the research shows fans, especially those strongly connected to a show or movie, enjoy finding hidden references and acting upon that excitement.

“We’re humans. We tend to want to share that information with other people. And so that can be in forums or in social media posts,” Watts said. “Or we want to know more or want to maybe confirm that we did find one, so we might do a little internet research and look it up and see if other people found it as well, or maybe what the hidden meaning could have been. It shows there are a lot of pathways to enjoying media. Beyond the content of the plot or characters, what other factors might be enjoyable?”

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Journal

PLOS One

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0341588 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Harvesting easter eggs: An exploratory study of enjoying transnarrative media

Opinion

The connections between the Irish Celt and the Highland Celt go back way beyond living memory

Jamie Stone 

17 March, 2026 

Left Foot Forward

Jamie Stone MP reflects on his Irish heritage this St Patrick's Day

Jamie Stone is the Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross and the chair of the House of Commons Petitions Committee.

Dear Old Ireland…

When I was growing up on the shores of the Dornoch Firth in the Scottish Highlands, I had hardly even heard of the place – although I might have heard of a leprechaun.

At uni, I met a nice girl who told me that she came from the Emerald Isle. I remember trying to charm her and, in my ignorance, I confused Belfast with Ulster, blissfully unaware that one was a city and the other was a province. I thought I’d blown my shot – and I may not have given it a second thought, but for the fact that one day I married that very same girl. That started a twice yearly visit to her home, the county of Armagh, bang on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It was a voyage of discovery, one that continues all these years on.

One thing I discovered was that my grandmother – who my mother had always assured me came from a reputable Scottish family – was in fact of Irish descent. This lineage included an ancestor who had once been a doctor in Dublin (his nickname was ‘stirabout Gus’ – a reference to the fact that in the late 18th century he prescribed porridge ‘stirabout’ as the cure for all ailments). Why had the Irish blood in my veins been so unacknowledged? I’m still yet to find out.

In more recent times, as our children got bigger, we as a family have stayed with my kind sister-in-law and her husband in a small holiday home in the remote northwest of County Donegal in Éire. To be precise, on the Fanad Peninsula overlooking Lough Swilly. A more remote and romantic part of Ireland it would be hard to find.

Now me being me, when I’m in Ireland, it is only really right and proper that I drink one or two pints of Guinness. And so it is that one evening I found myself in the Lighthouse Tavern, just where the Falad Peninsula punches northwards into the wild Atlantic. One evening as I raised my pint, one of my nephews and nieces took a picture of me with my brother-in-law sitting beside me in the bar. More of that picture anon.

Only a year later in 2017, I was surprised to find myself elected to the House of Commons. It would be fair to say that the House of Commons was equally as surprised to get me. I learnt that they had been rather badly caught and hadn’t had time to prepare a security pass for me in the event of my being elected. Apparently a mad scramble ensued to find my picture and prepare a pass in the knowledge that I could well be on the next train south from Inverness.

As I write this, I look at my security pass. It is that same picture of me in the Donegal pub which they had found online – albeit, with my brother-in-law, the optics and the darts trophies all cropped out. Over the ensuing years, I have been greatly touched to learn that the pub now takes a close interest in what I say and do in Westminster. Beyond this, most of the people in that remote part of Ireland had heard of the late Charles Kennedy and had taken some pleasure over the years in noting his success and ascent in UK politics.

That is the point about what I write in this piece. Little known to me as a child, but the fact is that the connections between the Irish Celt and the Highland Celt – between Gaelic in Ireland and Gaelic in the Highlands is not just strong but goes back way beyond living memory.

So as I sit here in my office on St Patrick’s day, I am reminded that a wee part of Ireland is with me whenever I stand and speak in the Chamber. I celebrate today with a proud personal commitment and also on behalf of my wife and three children – who all have strong Irish blood in them.

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Image credit: UK Parliament – Creative Commons

UK PM leads efforts to halt deadly meningitis spread


By AFP
March 18, 2026


UK health minister Wes Streeting says the 20 cases of deadly meningitis B link back to a Canterbury nightclub popular with students - Copyright AFP Ilia YEFIMOVICH

Helen Rowe

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday led urgent calls for young people who visited a nightclub at the centre of a deadly meningitis outbreak to come forward, as the number of cases rose.

Starmer told parliament the outbreak centred on Canterbury, in southeastern England, had left two dead and others were seriously ill in hospital.

Health experts were working to identify the close contacts of those who had contracted the life-threatening condition, Starmer said.

He asked “anyone who attended Club Chemistry on March, 5, 6th or 7th to come forward, please, to receive antibiotics”.

All the cases linked back to that nightclub in the university city, Health Minister Wes Streeting said earlier.

The number of cases being probed by UK authorities rose in the past 24 hours from 15 to 20.

Those who died have been identified as a 21-year-old university student and an 18-year-old school student.

The focus of public health measures so far has been the University of Kent in Canterbury, which has around 18,000 students, some of whom are among those hospitalised.

One of the cases involved a patient who had been living in Kent, but who was taken ill in London, amid fears the disease could spread as students head home for their Easter vacation.

Meningitis is a potentially deadly infection affecting the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is most common in young children, teenagers and young adults.

It can progress rapidly and is spread through prolonged close contact, including kissing or the sharing of vapes or drinks.

“As of 5 pm on 17 March, nine laboratory cases are confirmed and 11 notifications remain under investigation,” bringing the total to 20, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in a statement, an increase of five.

Students at the university have been queueing this week for preventative antibiotics with four centres open in Canterbury.

A targeted meningitis B vaccination programme was also due to begin, authorities said, with the jab initially being offered to 5,000 University of Kent students living on campus.

The programme could be extended, the UKHSA added.

– ‘Halt the spread’ –

Initial symptoms of meningitis include headache, fever, drowsiness and a stiff neck — but those signs can be vague, hampering prompt diagnosis.

Six of the confirmed cases are of group B meningococcal disease, according to the UKHSA.

The bacterial strain is rarer and deadlier than the viral type.

Family doctors nationwide have been told to prescribe antibiotics to anyone attending their surgeries who visited Club Chemistry between March 5-7 and to University of Kent students “if they have been asked to seek preventative treatment”.

“This is so that anyone who has travelled home, or away from Kent, can easily access this important preventative treatment close to them,” the UKHSA said.

The agency said it was also investigating the case of a baby with confirmed meningococcal group B infection, but who was apparently not linked to the outbreak.

The baby girl is reportedly in hospital in nearby Folkestone.

Children in Britain are usually routinely vaccinated against meningitis B with three doses given at eight and 12 weeks and one year.

Another vaccination targeting meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y is offered to children aged 14.

What we know about the UK’s deadly meningitis outbreak


By AFP
March 19, 2026


People wearing medical scrubs and face masks walk across campus at the University of Kent in Canterbury which is the centre of a deadly, unprecedented outbreak of meningitis - Copyright AFP/File Jim WATSON

Akshata Kapoor

UK health authorities are probing 27 cases linked to a deadly meningitis outbreak believed to have spread at a nightclub in southeast England.

Here’s everything we know about the disease and the outbreak:



– What is meningitis? –



Meningitis is a potentially deadly infection causing the inflammation of the brain or spinal cord linings, which can lead to sepsis.

Bacterial meningitis, as seen in this outbreak, is rarer and deadlier than the viral type.

Initial symptoms of meningitis include headache, fever, drowsiness and a stiff neck — but those are symptoms of different illnesses and can hamper prompt diagnosis.

Another sign can be a rash, and the disease can progress rapidly.

“It is certainly not as infective as say flu or COVID-19, and requires often fairly prolonged close contact before transmission takes place,” said Andrew Lee, Professor of Public Health at the University of Sheffield.

It can spread through close contact like kissing or the sharing of vapes or drinks.

More than two million people get meningitis worldwide each year, according to a tracker by the Meningitis Research Foundation — 80 percent of them in developing countries.

Outbreaks among university students have been particularly common in the West.



– Where does the infection come from? –



Meningococcal disease is a rare but serious illness caused by the meningococcal bacteria, which can result in meningitis.

It is usually spread by the people who carry the bacteria in the back of their throat or nose but don’t develop any symptoms.

“Between 10-24 per cent of the population unknowingly carry this germ at the back of their throats usually without any harm,” said Lee.

There are multiple strains of the bacteria. In this outbreak, at least nine of the confirmed cases are of group B meningococcal disease (MenB) — the most common in the UK.

The epicentre of this outbreak is believed to be Club Chemistry in Canterbury, according to Health Secretary Wes Streeting. At least 10 of the confirmed cases went to the nightclub between March 5-7.



– How big is the outbreak? –



It has been described as “unprecedented” by Streeting.

At least 27 cases were being probed as of Thursday, with 15 confirmed. That figure has risen rapidly in the last week, with the first case reported on Friday, March 13.

There have also been two deaths.

“The risk of transmission and further cases is usually highest in the first week after contact with a case and the probability rapidly decreases afterwards,” Lee said.

Many of those affected are University of Kent students. There have also been cases in four Kent schools and a London higher education institute.

The local authority was unable to confirm whether the outbreak had been contained as of Thursday.



– Why is it unprecedented? –



Health experts point to the unusual speed and spread of the outbreak in a short timeframe.

In the UK, meningitis tends to occur in small clusters.

“In my 35 years working in medicine, in healthcare and hospitals, this is the most cases I’ve seen in a single weekend with this type of infection,” UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) head Susan Hopkins said.

“This looks like a superspreader event, with ongoing spread within the halls of residence in the universities,” Hopkins added.

The UKHSA was alerted to the first case on March 13, and began tracing contacts. France informed UK authorities on March 14 of a case of a person who had been at the university and was hospitalised in France.

Samples collected from patients are being analysed in the laboratory, which could give a better picture about the strain and why the infection has been more invasive.



– What has the official response been? –



Health authorities are racing to identify close contacts of those who were ill, and have set up multiple health clinics in Canterbury distributing antibiotics.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged anyone at the nightclub on the weekend of the outbreak to seek antibiotics to help halt the spread of the disease.

For the general UK public, “the overall risk remains very low,” said Zina Alfahl from the University of Galway’s School of Medicine.

Bacterial meningitis usually needs to be treated in the hospital.

It can be prevented through vaccines. The University of Kent has rolled out a targeted vaccination programme to provide 5,000 jabs to students on campus.

While vaccines against some meningitis strains are administered routinely to children in the UK, the shot against MenB has only been part of the immunisation schedule since 2015 — when the UK became the first country in the world to add the jab to its programme.

As people rush to buy vaccines in response to the outbreak, health minister Streeting said it was “not necessary”.

burs-aks/jkb/pdw

Make Matzah Not War: Easter, Passover, Nowruz, Eleusis & the Spirit of Max

Susan Block

 March 20, 2026

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Holidays whip up sweet and spicy memories of Captain Max that I stir into a new Spring casserole of vintage photos. Like onions, some make me cry, but most are tasty enough to make me smile and occasionally even lick my lips.

I call it “collage therapy” and, like good holy-dazed comfort food with special herbs – such as *herb,*  also celebrated around this time (4/20, anyone?) – it soothes my bottomless sorrow  since the May 13, 2025 death of my beloved husband Maximillian R. Lobkowicz di Filangieri, helping me navigate this strange space between grief and gratitude.

Max Collage #7 highlights the Passover Liberation from Slavery and the Easter Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Filled with fun and games, Easter egg and Afikoman hunts, these zesty Spring holidays,  can also be harsh, with bitter herbs for Pesach and fasting for Lent, to give us a tiny taste of the great suffering of slavery, crucifixion and other sins perpetrated by human greed, brutality, hubris and foolishness.

Liberation & Resurrection

Both Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) and Easter honor divine Miracles of Return, echoing the primeval Eleusinian Mysteries of spring, which celebrate the pagan return of Persephone, Princess of the Underworld – and queen of the funereal grief I now feel – to her own grieving Earth Mother Demeter.

Yes, long before the Rebirth of the Holy Son returning to His Father in Heaven, the ancients honored the Resurrection of the Holy Daughter returning to Her Mother on Earth.

According to the Greeks, the Goddess Persephone (Proserpina to the Romans – like Max) rises up from the bowels of Hades (Pluto) to the old Athenian suburb of Eleusis, rejoining Her Earth Mama Demeter (Ceres) who is so ecstatic to embrace the fruit of Her loins that She showers the world in spring (now that’s some serious squirting)!

I only wish Max could return to me as Persephone returns to Her Earth Mother Demeter and Jesus returns to His Heavenly Father. That utterly irrational yet profound longing for the return of my beloved has opened my agnostic heart to understanding the deep faith so many place in the miracle of resurrection.

Ahhhh… if only!

Miracles of Spring

Though pretty amazing, the stories of Purim and St. Paddy’s Day don’t feature scientifically impossible *miracles.* No miraculous parting of the sea, and no walking on it either. The Megillat Esther doesn’t even mention the name of God. Easter and Passover are all about God and His (in Judeo-Christian-Islamic lore, God’s pronouns are always “He/Him”) miracles. Things that *can’t* happen – manna from heaven, resurrection of the dead – do.

The closest thing to a miracle I’ve ever experienced was Max himself, his energy and his love that somehow – miraculously – both protected and liberated me. Though agnostic, we tried to honor all the Gods and Goddesses, because as Max would say with a wink, “You never know.” We were fascinated and sometimes aroused by the ancient tales. Our Commedia Erotica interpretations might be considered blasphemous, but they were always heartfelt.

On the Passover/Easter convergence of 2011, we held a big “Last Supper Seder,” sharing matzah and chocolate bunnies, colored eggs, the Pascal lamb, red wine, “bitter herbs” and 4/20 herbs with professors, porn stars, artists and therapists. Max had just recovered from bladder cancer surgery a couple of weeks before, and he wasn’t sure if he was well enough to attend.  But as I began the seder, he slipped into a long robe and suddenly *appeared* from behind my chair, playing the part of the resurrected Jesus… or Elijah, depending on what you believe. It was mystical, hilarious and genuinely surprised me – almost like a real resurrection!

I keep hoping he’ll do that again…

Easter, Pesach, Nowruz

Though we weren’t religious believers, Max fervently believed in consuming all the delicious foods of our elaborate Passover/Easter seder dinners, from matzah ball soup to chocolate Easter bunnies. Both Pesach and Easter highlight eggs, which Max adored, regardless of color.

Iranian or Persian New Year, aka “Nowruz,” also features eggs, sweets, spring cleaning, the idea of rebirth, renewal, sometimes rebellion (how about those Arab Springs?) and other parallels to the spring holidays Max and I grew up on. A 3000-year-old Vernal Equinox festival that’s more cultural than religious, with roots in Zoroastrianiasm, and is observed by over 300 million people around the world, we’d often acknowledge Nowruz or Noorooz (meaning “New Day”) in our Bonoboville Spring holiday bacchanals, but admittedly without nearly as much detail as Pesach or Easter because being the dumb Judeo-Christian-Pagan-Agnostics we are, we really didn’t know Nowruz from Babaghanoush (which is actually Lebanese, not Iranian).

At least we acknowledged our ignorance, unlike many raised in so-called “Judeo-Christian” culture who excuse their war crimes by framing Iran as a savage society or Islam as an especially vicious religion.

Bonoboville Spring Bacchanals

Of course, Nowruz, Pesach and Easter are family occasions, but there comes a time when anyone with a pulse tires of trying to please their aunties and in-laws and craves a spicier blessing. Time to catch Spring Fever and fall in love… or at least party like a bonobo!

Thus, for the past three decades, after spending the first part of their holiday with family, bevies of Easter Bunnies, Passover Kinksters and a few Nowruz revelers would gather together in the Womb Room Sanctuary at the little Love Church of The Bonobo Way in Dr. Suzy’s Speakeasy of Bonoboville to celebrate the erotic, not-so family-friendly, bacchanalian roots of the Judeo-Christian Rites of Spring. And no, it wasn’t a cult; we were just having irreverent consenting-adult holiday fun.

Officiating in my priestly robes, tallit, gold cross (a gift from a devout Catholic therapy client), Star of David (woven for me by Twin Towers inmates from the threads of their prison uniforms), “Lox et Veritas” g-string and bunny ears, I would channel the spirit of The Great Bonobo Spring Easter Bunny Matzah Goddess, or some such mirthful divinity.

And Capt’n Max would channel Capt’n Max. Sometimes he’d wear his own Twin-Towers-woven star or bunny ears, but his sheer presence always projected plenty of divine “main character energy” on its own.

Never Again for Anyone

The pandemic cooled down our bacchanals, and as Israel’s escalating attacks on Palestinians passed over Passover 2021, Max and I sadly stowed our Stars of David, put on Keffiyehs and raised Palestinian flags. At the time, the choice felt simple to us: “Never Again” meant “Never Again for Anyone.”

Yet nothing is ever that simple. With loved ones on all sides, we couldn’t fully root for any *side* except the Bonobo Way, the side of peace through pleasure, ceasefire, sharing and good old-fashioned diplomacy. We also continued to root for Freedom of Speech – a vital aspect of that “freedom” from slavery that Passover celebrates – and that’s free speech for everyone, including the creeps who try to take ours away.

With Max now gone, I still root for free speech and the Bonobo Way, but I miss our painted eggs on the Last Supper seder plate. I miss Max.

Make Matzah Not War

Max passed over (literally) before tRump’s current bombardment of the ancient land of Iran, aka Operation Epstein Folly. Yes, “Operation Epic Fury” (did a gamer come up with that name?) was re-christened “Operation Epstein Fury” by clickbait influencers, but that merely exchanges Epstein for “Epic,” and it’s much worse than that.

“Folly” is more on-the-nose than “Fury” because none of the architects of this mess are authentically “furious” about anything. Certainly, the babbling tRumpus is not furious, nor are any of his cosplaying Cabinet of Dr. Caligari horror actors, yes-models and real estate developers. But they are all remarkably, hubristically and rather dangerously foolish.

The bombing of the girls’ school might be Herr Trumpenstein’s most foolish and horrific deed yet, especially as it appears to be a bloody coda to his Epstein history.

Fools can be funny, but this fool’s errand is devastating to people all over the Middle East. Needless to say, Nowruz 2026 is not as joyous as usual, though some Iranians are observing the pre-Nowruz traditional fire ritual Chaharshanbe Suri by defying government orders, while others are burning effigies of tRump and Bibi.

Poor Trumpty Dumpty was “shocked” that a big *civilized* country like Iran would actually fight back when pelted with American bombs. “They weren’t supposed to,” Trumpty whined (not so subtly blaming Jared), as Dr. Caligari’s Cabinet of Creeps nodded along, bombing away anyway.

Where’s Moses to part the Strait of Hormuz with his magic God Rod when you need him?

If Max were alive, no doubt he’d be ranting against these mad, arrogant, avaricious fools. And he’d make it personal, telling the story of his own experience as a former starry-eyed U.S. Army recruit to any bewildered soldiers that might be listening. Max was a rifleman, a crack shot being groomed for sniper duty when one fine day, his young brain figured out that after target practice came killing his fellow humans. So, he threw down his rifle, picked up a pen and studied war no more.

Well, it wasn’t that simple (nothing ever is), but that’s a story for another collage. In the meantime, let’s simply end this foolish war, or whatever it’s called.

Max would say, “Listen Trumpty, we all know you’re a bully and a fool, so why not go TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out), find an offramp (but that doesn’t mean pivoting to “take Cuba”!), and stop the bombing? Then maybe they’ll stop their bombing (after all, you started it), and we can all go bonobos, eat chocolate eggs and enjoy the miracles of Spring.”

Not that it’s ever that simple, but in the meantime… Happy Easter, Passover, Nowruz, 4/20, Dionysia, Primavera, Eleusinian Mysteries, Spring Break or whatever you celebrate, from me, Bonoboville and the Spirit of Max.

Susan Block, Ph.D., a.k.a. “Dr. Suzy,” is a world renowned LA sex therapist, author of The Bonobo Way: The Evolution of Peace through Pleasure and horny housewife, occasionally seen on HBO and other channels. For information and speaking engagements, call 626-461-5950. Email her at drsusanblock@gmail.com  

SEE 

 https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2007/04/passover-song.html

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