MOST EXTRAVAGANT EASTER BUNNY IN THE WORLD GOES ON SALE

Looking for a perfect Easter gift for that chocoholic in your life?

Well if you have a spare GBP �33,000 (USD $49,000) then website VeryFirstTo.com may have the answer.

They are selling a 38cm high Easter bunny, which has been hand-carved from a block of 75 percent Tanzania-origin chocolate by award-winning chocolatier and International pastry consultant Martin Chiffers - a former chef decor of Harrods.

The bunny's eyes have added sparkle from two 1.70 carat round brilliant diamonds, which have been nestled into the chocolate, with a combined value of over GBP �25,000.

"We're now coming towards Easter and we wanted to come up with the dream Easter gift and we couldn't think of anything more unprecedented and remarkable than a beautifully carved chocolate Eater bunny enhanced by the most phenomenal 1.70 carat diamonds," says Marcel Knobil, founder of VeryFirstTo.

"I think most rabbits are probably accustomed to standard carrots but you can't imagine more impressive carats than these for what is the most extravagant Easter bunny in the world."

The chocolate bunny took two days to carve and weighs around five kilograms. That means that it contains about 584,000 calories.

And though it wasn't intended as an edible treat, the buyer may find it hard to resist.

"Every time I've been close to it, it's just smelt delicious," says Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds, who provided the stones.

"You just want to lean in and nibble the ear a little bit."

For those who can resist the temptation to eat it, the bunny can be displayed for two years if its temperature is regulated to around 16 degrees.

If it's purchased, a donation of GBP �1,000 will be made to The Prince's Trust charity.

77 Diamonds have offered to create a bespoke piece of jewelry for the buyer featuring the gems free of charge.

Smaller stones are available upon request, which would reduce the total cost.

AP Entertainment

London, 18 March 2015

1. Medium shot Martin Chiffers posing with chocolate Easter bunny

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Chiffers/International Pastry Consultant and brand owner of Chiffers at Mitsukoshi Ginza Tokyo:

"Sitting behind me is a hand-carved chocolate rabbit with very sparkley eyes. I call him Bright Eyes."

3. Various of Martin Chiffers posing with chocolate Easter bunny

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Chiffers/International Pastry Consultant and brand owner of Chiffers at Mitsukoshi Ginza Tokyo:

"It started off with a solid piece of chocolate and basically it's a hand-carving. Wood-carving tools I use to carve the shape and to put all the details. It's slightly sprayed with some cocoa butter and then polished."

(Reporter: "And then obviously adding the diamonds.")

Chiffers: "The diamonds on the eyes, which were done this morning with a hot spoon."

5. Tilt up chocolate Easter bunny

6. Close up of chocolate Easter bunny diamond eyes

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcel Knobil/Founder of VeryFirstTo:

"We're now coming towards Easter and we wanted to come up with the dream Easter gift and we couldn't think of anything more unprecedented and remarkable than a beautifully carved chocolate Eater bunny enhanced by the most phenomenal 1.70 carat diamonds. I think most rabbits are probably accustomed to standard carrots but you can't imagine more impressive carats than these for what is the most extravagant Easter bunny in the world."

8. Close up of chocolate Easter bunny

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Tobias Kormind/Managing Director of 77 Diamonds:

"Well that amazing rabbit was created by Martin, chocolate chef extraordinaire, in combination with VeryFirstTo. We're bringing this large chocolate rabbit out for the first time. We put some lovely, large diamonds inside, which we're happy afterwards, once the chocolate has all been eaten, to make some fabulous jewelry with a matching pair of diamond earrings."

10. Various close ups of chocolate Easter bunny

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcel Knobil/Founder of VeryFirstTo:

"We weren't anticipating that people were actually going to eat it, we just thought that they would proudly display it, but having been close to it and smelt the power of that 75 percent Tanzanian origin chocolate, I think it's going to be very difficult to resist."

12. Various close ups of chocolate Easter bunny

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Tobias Kormind/Managing Director of 77 Diamonds:

"Every time I've been close to it, it's just smelt delicious. You just want to lean in and nibble the ear a little bit."

14. Wide shot of chocolate Easter bunny

T/I: 10:55:49

9815

Sigourney Weaver / New York / April 7th / ENT 3

Sigourney Weaver has spring in her step with the "Bunny Hop"

Hollywood actress Sigourney Weaver turned up at New York's flagship toy store FAO Schwartz yesterday to help raise funds for a local cancer charity. The statuesque star of Alien Resurrection brought her daughter and friends along to take part in the annual Easter Bunny Hop parade.

"Bunny Hop" has become a traditional event for high-profile New York families and celebrities to help benefit the Society of memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The pioneering hosiptal is at the vanguard of breast cancer research.

SHOWS:

WS PLAZA HOTEL ; CU HOTEL SIGN ; SIGOURNEY WEAVER AND CHILDREN COME OUT OF HOTEL ; LOW SHOT WEAVER AND CHILDREN ON BUNNY HOP WALK ; WS SAME ; WEAVER ARRIVES OUTSIDE TOY SHOP AND ARGUES WITH PRESS ; WEAVER POSES WITH POPEYE, OLIVE AND PADDINGTON BEAR ; SOT WEAVER ; WEAVER POSES WITH RABBIT MAN

SHOTLIST

AP Television

Pasadena, USA 2 April 2010

1. Wide shot museum exterior

2. Visitors walking toward museum entrance

3. Children looking at exhibits

4. Wide of museum director Candace Frazee with visitors

5. Frazee with visitors; pan right to exhibit

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Candace Frazee, The Bunny Museum director:

"The Bunny Museum got started because I called my boyfriend, Steve - now my husband - I called him my honey bunny, and so he gave me a white stuffed bunny on Valentine''s Day, and then I gave him a porcelain bunny on Easter, and then before you know it we''re giving each other a bunny every day as a love token, and we still do that, so now we have over 26,000 and we have the Guinness record for the most bunnies in the world."

7. Wide shot Guinness World Records plaque

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Candace Frazee, The Bunny Museum director:

"The Bunny Museum is actually our home. It''s a living museum; we live here, so you''re going to come and you''re going to see us doing dishes and vacuuming. I used to not do that, but now so many people come that I have to do things when people come, so it''s a living museum, but it is a museum, all of the bunnies, you can come see the real bunnies, and we''re open seven days a week by appointment."

9. Wide shot bunny display; pan right

10. Close up of first stuffed bunny which Frazee''s husband gave her

11. Close up bunny "Elvis" water pitcher

12. Wide shot souvenirs from White House Easter egg roll

13. Close up souvenir eggs; pan left

14. Wide shot bunny display

15. Close up Bugs Bunny phone; pull to medium shot Frazee talking on phone

STORYLINE

THE BUNNY MUSEUM

When Candace Frazee and her husband Steve Lubanksi exchanged bunnies on Valentine''s day they didn''t know they were on their way to holding the largest collection of bunnies in the world.

But one led to another and now 26,000 bunnies later the couple have broken a Guinness World Record and have turned their home into a bunny museum.

Frazee and Lubansky been collecting bunny-related items for 18 years, and has been running the museum in their home for 12 years.

Frazee said the couple''s interest in bunnies began when they were dating, when she called Lubanski her "honey bunny."

Lubanski bought Frazee a stuffed bunny for Valentine''s Day; she then bought him a porcelain bunny for Easter, and soon they were buying each other bunnies as love tokens.

The stuffed white bunny that began the couple''s bunny obsession is now on display at the Bunny Museum -- along with more than 26,000 other bunnies and bunny-related items.

The Guinness Book of World Records has recognised The Bunny Museum for having the world''s largest collection of bunnies.

Frazee describes The Bunny Museum as "a living museum," because it is located in the couple''s home.

They hold down full-time jobs, he runs a bicycle shop and she is a writer who works from home, and Frazee gives tours of the museum by appointment only; there is no admission fee.

Frazee has published one book about bunnies and is working on a second, in between her duties running the museum.

The museum includes the couple''s five pet rabbits, who are not kept in cages; rather, they are free to roam about the house.

Visitors are encouraged to bring vegetables to feed to the pet bunnies, and the museum accepts donations of bunny-related items.

Frazee said the most popular item in the museum is a ceramic water pitcher that resembles Elvis Presley.

Frazee said she has nearly run out of room in her home, so she is looking for a bigger location for her museum.

LEADIN:

24-Karat gold-painted chocolate bunnies, sky-high Easter cakes and designer milkshakes.

It could only be Easter Los Angeles style.

STORYLINE:

This year, chocolatiers and candy makers in Los Angeles are pulling out all the stops in order to make the Easter holidays that little bit more luxurious.

A twenty-four-Karat gold eggs is trending this years, as are artisan, hand-crafted chocolates are quite a trend in L.A.??According to the National Confectioner's Association (NCA), around 90 percent of Easter baskets will include chocolate or candy of some kind this year.??Todd Johnson, the CEO of Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, claims the Easter trends started here are adopted round the globe.??"Many different cultures want to have sweets at this time of the year and certainly in Los Angeles and L.A. and Beverly Hills are just big trendsetters for this," he says. ??"And chocolates and crepes and all these flavours and sugars and fantastic, unique, put together items are so big in this area and they're starting to spread not only throughout Los Angeles, but throughout the whole country and the world."??Here at Compartés Chocolates, a hip chocolate store in Los Angeles, gourmet chocolates are made from scratch by hand every day.??The store has become known for fusing chocolate with art, style, design and fashion.??It makes these handcrafted 24-Karat gold-covered chocolate Easter bunnies and gold-covered baskets.??But it's not just Easter treats, there are also these chocolate-dipped matzos for those celebrating Passover.??"We always have to do something special, something unique," says Jonathan Grahm, the founder and owner of Compartés Chocolates. ??"Create chocolate as art. Create an experience. Being in Los Angeles, we also want out chocolates to look like they're from Los Angeles. We have tons of celebrities. Everything here is decked out in gold and Bentleys and Rolls Royce, so you have to have the Rolls Royce of chocolate."??Le Mervetty Beverly Hills is a 19th century-inspired gourmet French pastry shop - it specialises in cloud-like meringue treats.??The designer milkshakes here feature Easter bunnies and matzo.??The extravagant 'shakes' are made using whipped cream, fresh raspberries, ice cream, milk and sweet sprinkles. They're priced at $16 USD.??The milkshakes are offered alongside these elaborate Easter cakes made solely from meringue, priced at $150 USD.??The Passover Matzo milkshake and Matzo Passover meringue cake are popular options for those aiming to avoid flour this Easter.??This year's Easter slogan for Beverly Hills candy maker, Sugarfina is 'Sun's Out, Buns Out.'??Manager Maritza Murguia says this year they've created miniature golden truffle eggs and marzipan eggs.??There's also a Springtime Candy Bento Box that boasts nine different boxes of eggs, plus designer bunny gummy bears.

?"Our Easter candy for 2017 is really over the top," says Murguia. ??"This is Beverly Hills, so we like to do things in a more luxurious, sophisticated manner and that's really what we stand out for here. So, just to give you an example of that, we have our Sun's Out, Buns Out fluffy bunny tails which are these little fluffy marshmallow strawberry flavoured gummies and they're just amazing and delicious. They're covered in this beautiful gold foil packaging. We also have our 24-Karat gold swizzle sticks, which is rock candy, but covered in 24-Karat gold flakes, so really just luxurious and over the top, perfect for Beverly Hills."??Diane Krön Chocolatier in Beverly Hills is offering creative paper rose gift boxes to fill with a combination of chocolates chosen by the customer. They're priced at $130 USD.??The business began back in the 1970's and soon became a well-known luxury name.??The company claims devoted clients over the years have included First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, artist Andy Warhol, actress Katharine Hepburn, Henry Ford and Estee Lauder.

This year, some of its Easter bunnies are made from solid milk and dark chocolate. ??Elsewhere, there are Easter and chicken themed bags filled with chocolate Easter eggs and various individual chocolates.

Los Angeles, US - 8 April 2017??1. Wide of 24-Karat bunnies at Compartés Chocolates?2. Mid of gold dusted and painted chocolate bunnies ?3. Close of 24-Karat gold powder in jars with brushes ??Associated Press ?Beverly Hills, US - 8 April 2017??4. Close of 24-Karat gold rock candy swizzle sticks at Sugarfina ?5. Wide of designer meringue Easter cakes at Le Mervetty Beverly Hills, employee wearing Easter bunny ears?6. Mid of meringue Easter cakes at Le Mervetty Beverly Hills?7. Tilt up of Le Mervetty Easter milkshake?8. Setup shot of Todd Johnson, CEO of Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, walking?9. Wide of woman and employee in Sugarfina ?10. Wide of candy concierge at Sugarfina ?11. SOUNDBITE (English) Todd Johnson, CEO of Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce:?"Many different cultures want to have sweets at this time of the year and certainly in Los Angeles and L.A. and Beverly Hills are just big trendsetters for this. And chocolates and crepes and all these flavours and sugars and fantastic, unique, put together items are so big in this area and they're starting to spread not only throughout Los Angeles, but throughout the whole country and the world."

Associated Press ?Los Angeles, US - 8 April 2017??12. Wide of Compartés Chocolates exterior?13. Setup shot of Jonathon Grahm, Owner of Compartés Chocolates, speaking with customers ?14. Mid of two chocolate baskets?15. Close of dark chocolate basket ?16. Wide of chocolate artist painting gold on chocolate bunny?17. Close of artist painting gold on bunny?18. Mid of two chocolate gold bunnies?19. Wide pan of tray with Easter graffiti chocolate bars and marshmallow Easter bunnies?20. Mid of matzo chocolate covered with raw ingredients ?21. Tilt down of matzo being placed into melted chocolate?22. High shot of matzo being flipped in chocolate mixer?23. Close of matzo being pulled from mixer dipped in chocolate ?24. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Grahm, Owner of Compartés Chocolates, Los Angeles: ?"We always have to do something special, something unique. Create chocolate as art. Create an experience. Being in Los Angeles, we also want our chocolates to look like they're from Los Angeles. We have tons of celebrities. Everything here is decked out in gold and Bentleys and Rolls Royce, so you have to have the Rolls Royce of chocolate."??Associated Press ?Beverly Hills, US - 8 April 2017??25. Mid of window of Le Mervetty Beverly Hills with Easter milkshakes?26. Wide of interior with customer?27. Tilt down from chandelier to owner Etty Benhamou creating meringue?28. Mid of man sipping milkshake ?29. Close of meringue Easter cake ?30. Pull out of employee prepping Easter milkshake by putting icing on side of glass?31. Close of milkshake glass being rolled in tiny candy balls?32. High shot of milk being poured into blender?33. Mid of Easter cake and Easter milkshake?34. Close of Passover milkshake?35. Tilt down of matzo cake with chocolate covered matzo and gold sprinkles ?36. Wide of Sugarfina exterior?37. Mid of Sugarfina window with 'Sun's Out, Buns Out' sign?38. Pull out of Sugarfina interior?39. Mid of 24-Karat gold swizzle sticks?40. Tilt down to Easter Gummy Bears?41. Wide of sour strawberry marshmallow Easter Gummy Bears?42. Setup shot of Maritza Murguia, Manager of Sugarfina, Beverly Hills ?43. Close of golden truffle eggs in box?44. Close of marzipan eggs in box ?45. Close of robin's egg caramels in box?46. Tilt down to Candy Bento Box?47. SOUNDBITE (English) Maritza Murguia, Manager of Sugarfina, Beverly Hills: ?"Our Easter candy for 2017 is really over the top. This is Beverly Hills, so we like to do things in a more luxurious,sophisticated manner and that's really what we stand out for here. So, just to give you an example of that, we have our Sun's Out, Buns Out fluffy bunny tails which are these little fluffy marshmallow strawberry flavoured gummies and they're just amazing and delicious. They're covered in this beautiful gold foil packaging. We also have our 24-Karat gold swizzle sticks, which is rock candy, but covered in 24-Karat gold flakes, so really just luxurious and over the top, perfect for Beverly Hills."??48. Mid of Diane Krön Chocolatier exterior in Beverly Hills?49. Mid of rose flower Easter treats box?50. Wide of interior, clerk serving client Easter chocolates?51. Mid of client trying chocolate samples?52. Close of framed People magazine cover with Jacqueline Kennedy who liked Diane Krön Chocolatier truffles ?53. Tilt down of rose Easter boxes?54. Wide of rose Easter boxes and Easter eggs?55. Close of milk and dark chocolate 'solid' Easter bunnies ?56. Pull out from Easter bag to store shelves ?57. Close of chicken Easter basket ??

US: LUXURY EASTER TREATS??SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS??RESTRICTIONS: AP CLIENTS ONLY??LENGTH: 5.45??SHOTLIST:??Associated Press ?Los Angeles, US - 8 April 2017??1. Wide of 24-Karat bunnies at Compartés Chocolates?2. Mid of gold dusted and painted chocolate bunnies ?3. Close of 24-Karat gold powder in jars with brushes ??Associated Press ?Beverly Hills, US - 8 April 2017??4. Close of 24-Karat gold rock candy swizzle sticks at Sugarfina ?5. Wide of designer meringue Easter cakes at Le Mervetty Beverly Hills, employee wearing Easter bunny ears?6. Mid of meringue Easter cakes at Le Mervetty Beverly Hills?7. Tilt up of Le Mervetty Easter milkshake?8. Setup shot of Todd Johnson, CEO of Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, walking?9. Wide of woman and employee in Sugarfina ?10. Wide of candy concierge at Sugarfina ?11. SOUNDBITE (English) Todd Johnson, CEO of Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce:?"Many different cultures want to have sweets at this time of the year and certainly in Los Angeles and L.A. and Beverly Hills are just big trendsetters for this. And chocolates and crepes and all these flavours and sugars and fantastic, unique, put together items are so big in this area and they're starting to spread not only throughout Los Angeles, but throughout the whole country and the world."

Associated Press ?Los Angeles, US - 8 April 2017??12. Wide of Compartés Chocolates exterior?13. Setup shot of Jonathon Grahm, Owner of Compartés Chocolates, speaking with customers ?14. Mid of two chocolate baskets?15. Close of dark chocolate basket ?16. Wide of chocolate artist painting gold on chocolate bunny?17. Close of artist painting gold on bunny?18. Mid of two chocolate gold bunnies?19. Wide pan of tray with Easter graffiti chocolate bars and marshmallow Easter bunnies?20. Mid of matzo chocolate covered with raw ingredients ?21. Tilt down of matzo being placed into melted chocolate?22. High shot of matzo being flipped in chocolate mixer?23. Close of matzo being pulled from mixer dipped in chocolate ?24. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Grahm, Owner of Compartés Chocolates, Los Angeles: ?"We always have to do something special, something unique. Create chocolate as art. Create an experience. Being in Los Angeles, we also want our chocolates to look like they're from Los Angeles. We have tons of celebrities. Everything here is decked out in gold and Bentleys and Rolls Royce, so you have to have the Rolls Royce of chocolate."??Associated Press ?Beverly Hills, US - 8 April 2017??25. Mid of window of Le Mervetty Beverly Hills with Easter milkshakes?26. Wide of interior with customer?27. Tilt down from chandelier to owner Etty Benhamou creating meringue?28. Mid of man sipping milkshake ?29. Close of meringue Easter cake ?30. Pull out of employee prepping Easter milkshake by putting icing on side of glass?31. Close of milkshake glass being rolled in tiny candy balls?32. High shot of milk being poured into blender?33. Mid of Easter cake and Easter milkshake?34. Close of Passover milkshake?35. Tilt down of matzo cake with chocolate covered matzo and gold sprinkles ?36. Wide of Sugarfina exterior?37. Mid of Sugarfina window with 'Sun's Out, Buns Out' sign?38. Pull out of Sugarfina interior?39. Mid of 24-Karat gold swizzle sticks?40. Tilt down to Easter Gummy Bears?41. Wide of sour strawberry marshmallow Easter Gummy Bears?42. Setup shot of Maritza Murguia, Manager of Sugarfina, Beverly Hills ?43. Close of golden truffle eggs in box?44. Close of marzipan eggs in box ?45. Close of robin's egg caramels in box?46. Tilt down to Candy Bento Box?47. SOUNDBITE (English) Maritza Murguia, Manager of Sugarfina, Beverly Hills: ?"Our Easter candy for 2017 is really over the top. This is Beverly Hills, so we like to do things in a more luxurious,sophisticated manner and that's really what we stand out for here. So, just to give you an example of that, we have our Sun's Out, Buns Out fluffy bunny tails which are these little fluffy marshmallow strawberry flavoured gummies and they're just amazing and delicious. They're covered in this beautiful gold foil packaging. We also have our 24-Karat gold swizzle sticks, which is rock candy, but covered in 24-Karat gold flakes, so really just luxurious and over the top, perfect for Beverly Hills."??48. Mid of Diane Krön Chocolatier exterior in Beverly Hills?49. Mid of rose flower Easter treats box?50. Wide of interior, clerk serving client Easter chocolates?51. Mid of client trying chocolate samples?52. Close of framed People magazine cover with Jacqueline Kennedy who liked Diane Krön Chocolatier truffles ?53. Tilt down of rose Easter boxes?54. Wide of rose Easter boxes and Easter eggs?55. Close of milk and dark chocolate 'solid' Easter bunnies ?56. Pull out from Easter bag to store shelves ?57. Close of chicken Easter basket ??LEADIN:

24-Karat gold-painted chocolate bunnies, sky-high Easter cakes and designer milkshakes.

It could only be Easter Los Angeles style.

STORYLINE:

This year, chocolatiers and candy makers in Los Angeles are pulling out all the stops in order to make the Easter holidays that little bit more luxurious.

A twenty-four-Karat gold eggs is trending this years, as are artisan, hand-crafted chocolates are quite a trend in L.A.??According to the National Confectioner's Association (NCA), around 90 percent of Easter baskets will include chocolate or candy of some kind this year.??Todd Johnson, the CEO of Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, claims the Easter trends started here are adopted round the globe.??"Many different cultures want to have sweets at this time of the year and certainly in Los Angeles and L.A. and Beverly Hills are just big trendsetters for this," he says. ??"And chocolates and crepes and all these flavours and sugars and fantastic, unique, put together items are so big in this area and they're starting to spread not only throughout Los Angeles, but throughout the whole country and the world."??Here at Compartés Chocolates, a hip chocolate store in Los Angeles, gourmet chocolates are made from scratch by hand every day.??The store has become known for fusing chocolate with art, style, design and fashion.??It makes these handcrafted 24-Karat gold-covered chocolate Easter bunnies and gold-covered baskets.??But it's not just Easter treats, there are also these chocolate-dipped matzos for those celebrating Passover.??"We always have to do something special, something unique," says Jonathan Grahm, the founder and owner of Compartés Chocolates. ??"Create chocolate as art. Create an experience. Being in Los Angeles, we also want out chocolates to look like they're from Los Angeles. We have tons of celebrities. Everything here is decked out in gold and Bentleys and Rolls Royce, so you have to have the Rolls Royce of chocolate."??Le Mervetty Beverly Hills is a 19th century-inspired gourmet French pastry shop - it specialises in cloud-like meringue treats.??The designer milkshakes here feature Easter bunnies and matzo.??The extravagant 'shakes' are made using whipped cream, fresh raspberries, ice cream, milk and sweet sprinkles. They're priced at $16 USD.??The milkshakes are offered alongside these elaborate Easter cakes made solely from meringue, priced at $150 USD.??The Passover Matzo milkshake and Matzo Passover meringue cake are popular options for those aiming to avoid flour this Easter.??This year's Easter slogan for Beverly Hills candy maker, Sugarfina is 'Sun's Out, Buns Out.'??Manager Maritza Murguia says this year they've created miniature golden truffle eggs and marzipan eggs.??There's also a Springtime Candy Bento Box that boasts nine different boxes of eggs, plus designer bunny gummy bears.

?"Our Easter candy for 2017 is really over the top," says Murguia. ??"This is Beverly Hills, so we like to do things in a more luxurious, sophisticated manner and that's really what we stand out for here. So, just to give you an example of that, we have our Sun's Out, Buns Out fluffy bunny tails which are these little fluffy marshmallow strawberry flavoured gummies and they're just amazing and delicious. They're covered in this beautiful gold foil packaging. We also have our 24-Karat gold swizzle sticks, which is rock candy, but covered in 24-Karat gold flakes, so really just luxurious and over the top, perfect for Beverly Hills."??Diane Krön Chocolatier in Beverly Hills is offering creative paper rose gift boxes to fill with a combination of chocolates chosen by the customer. They're priced at $130 USD.??The business began back in the 1970's and soon became a well-known luxury name.??The company claims devoted clients over the years have included First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, artist Andy Warhol, actress Katharine Hepburn, Henry Ford and Estee Lauder.

This year, some of its Easter bunnies are made from solid milk and dark chocolate. ??Elsewhere, there are Easter and chicken themed bags filled with chocolate Easter eggs and various individual chocolates.

====

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com.

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

LEADIN:

Chocolatiers across Beverly Hills and Hollywood are gearing up for Easter with their latest, high-end creations.

It comes as annual global chocolate sales are expected to top more than 100 billion US dollars for the first time.

STORYLINE:

Easter is fast approaching, a time for chocolatiers to bring out their most impressive and expensive creations.

And in Beverly Hills and Hollywood, the Easter delights are at their most luxurious.

From 18 karat gold bunnies to Jackson Pollock-inspired eggs, there is plenty to tempt customers, as long as they've got a budget to match.

Ed Engoron, President and CEO of Perspectives/The Consulting Group, an international food and restaurant consulting firm, says chocolate sales are at an all time high worldwide:

"Well the chocolate industry right now is very exciting both for consumers and processors because we are going broach over 100 billion dollars this year and that's the first time. That's up about 8 percent in the last 10 years. The Swiss continue to consume the most chocolate and that's right about 10 kilos a year. The Austrians and the Germans follow very closely behind and that is about 9 kilos a year and America is right around, somewhere around 5 kilos a year," he says.

The market research agency Statista says that increased consumption from India, China and Asian Pacific countries is driving the industry, as those consumers grow more accustomed to 'Western' tastes, along with a belief in the health benefits of eating dark chocolate.

The appetite for chocolate has been growing so much that analysts predict a 30 percent increase in global cocoa demand by 2020.

Edelweiss Chocolates of Beverly Hills has been a chocolate institution since 1942.

During the golden Age of Hollywood, it catered to Hollywood royalty, including the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra and Katherine Hepburn.

The store is filled with handmade premium artisan chocolates, made using traditional techniques and sold in Hollywood and abroad.

Owned by the Zahir family, Edelweiss has enjoyed a unique place in the fabric of Beverly Hills history for many years.

Lucille Ball was a regular customer of Edelweiss and used to enter through the backdoor, passing the conveyor belt.

Rumour has it the infamous chocolate conveyer belt episode in I Love Lucy was inspired by Edelweiss.

Danny Zahirpour, the creative director and head chocolatier, says vibrant colours on chocolate eggs are the big trend this year.

In line with that trend, he's created a modern speckled painted Easter egg made from scratch with a splatter technique.

Each cost 59.95 US Dollars and are in big demand this season.

"They are hand molded and we speckle them with coloured coco butter by hand so it's almost like a handpainted design," he says.

"Think about Jackson Pollack, splattering the paint on the molds. Then we shell the egg and then we demold them and put them together in a 3D fashion and then they stand on a platform and then they are boxed with a beautiful Spring ribbon."

He also hand brushes and paints 18-karat gold chocolate bunnies which sell for 24.95 US Dollars each.

He says Easter is a time people will spend more money on fine, handcrafted chocolates.

Katherine Spiers, food critic at KCRW, NPR public radio agrees.

"People like to eat fancy chocolate around Easter. This is the holiday where you will see people spending more of their money on the high-end chocolates so the expensive chocolatiers are going to see a big bump in business around Easter compared to say Valentine's Day and Halloween," she says.

Kelly Green and John Kelson (aka John Kelly Chocolates) cater to Hollywood's elite and are known for some of the finest chocolates.

They specialise in handmade, ultra luxurious gift boxes and presentations, making their chocolates with natural ingredients in small batches.

One of their most popular items at Easter is the combined dark and milk chocolate bunnies in small round gift boxes (10.50 US Dollars for two bunnies).

They say they sell thousands of these bunnies each Easter.

Kelson says artisan, high quality chocolates are the biggest growing segment and are hugely popular with corporate Hollywood and VIPS.

"We have a big celebrity clientele. We're located in the heart of Hollywood in Los Angeles. I mean you can't get anymore in the centre of entertainment that that. So we do a lot of business with the studios. We have a lot of celebrities that do come directly to our stores and buy from us," he says.

Kelson says their business keeps growing and there is always a peak in business around holiday times.

He says e-commerce is also growing in leaps and bounds as people want the convenience of shopping online.

Beverly Hills, California, US - 15 March 2018

1. Pull out of Easter eggs and chocolates

2. Various of Easter eggs and chocolates

3. Close of spinning chocolate on enrober

4. Pull out from picture on wall to wide of assembly line cooling tunnel

5. Close of Easter chocolates moving along assembly line

6. Various of Easter candy designs being placed on chocolates

7. Set up of Ed Engoron, President and CEO of Perspectives/The Consulting Group

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ed Engoron, President and CEO of Perspectives/The Consulting Group:

"Well the chocolate industry right now is very exciting both for consumers and processors because we are going broach over 100 billion dollars this year and that's the first time. That's up about 8 percent in the last 10 years. The Swiss continue to consume about the most chocolate and that's right about 10 kilos a year. The Austrians and the Germans follow very closely behind and that is about 9 kilos a year and America is right around, somewhere around 5 kilos a year."

9. Pull out of Edelweiss Chocolates exterior

10. Close of Edelweiss Candy Kitchen sign

11. Wide interior with customer buying Easter bunnies

12. Wide tilt down of Easter chocolates on shelves

13. Mid of Easter baskets on shelves

14. Wide of Zahir family working on chocolates in kitchen

15. Pull out of Danny Zahirpour, Creative Director and head chocolatier, Edelweiss Chocolates

16. Wide of the hand painted speckled eggs

17. Various of Zahirpour splattering colouring into speckled egg molds

18. Pull out of chocolate being poured in speckled egg mold

19. Mid of Zahirpour flipping mold and tapping out excess chocolate

20. Mid of Zahirpour scraping excess chocolate from speckled egg mold

21. Wide tilt up of Zahirpour putting two speckled eggs halves together

22. Close of sealed speckled egg completed

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Danny Zahirpour, creative director and head chocolatier, Edelweiss Chocolates:

"This year for us we are doing something new, we are doing our handmade speckled eggs. They are about 7 inches long and they are hand molded and we speckle them with coloured coco butter by hand so it's almost like a hand painted design. Think about Jackson Pollack, splattering the paint on the molds. And then we shell the egg and then we demold them and put them together in a 3D fashion and then they stand on a platform and then they are boxed with a beautiful spring ribbon."

24. Mid of gold chocolate bunny and gold egg

25. Close of gold chocolate egg

26. Various of Zahirpour hand creating gold chocolate bunny

West Hollywood, California, US - 15 March, 2018

27. Pull out of Katherine Spiers, food critic at KCRW, NPR public radio

28. SOUNDBITE (English) Katherine Spiers, food critic at KCRW, NPR public radio:

"People like to eat fancy chocolate around Easter. This is the holiday where you will see people spending more of their money on the high-end chocolates so the expensive chocolatiers are going to see a big bump in business around Easter compared to say Valentine's Day and Halloween where people are buying sort of more inexpensive chocolate candy, which might come in a bulk bag, that sort of thing. It's less elegant than Easter chocolate."

29. Pull out of John Kelly Chocolates exterior

30. Close of John Kelly Chocolates sandwich board

31. Pull out of interior

32. Wide of John Kelson with client offering chocolate sample

33. Close of client eating Easter chocolate sample

34. Mid pan of framed press articles

35. Wide of shelves with chocolate boxes

36. Close of milk chocolate bunnies gift box

37. Pan of dark and milk chocolate bunnies on trays

38. Close dark and milk chocolate bunnies on trays

39. Wide of John Kelson, Kelly Green and chocolatier working in kitchen

40. Wide of John and Kelly preparing Easter bunnies

41. Mid of three Easter gift boxes

42. Mid of awards and Tower gift boxes

43. Close of 24 piece Assortment Boxes

44. Set up of John Kelson, CEO and co-owner of John Kelly Chocolates

45. SOUNDBITE (English) John Kelson, CEO and co-owner of John Kelly Chocolates:

"We have a big celebrity clientele. We're located in the heart of Hollywood in Los Angeles. I mean you can't get more in the centre of entertainment that that. So we do a lot of business with the studios. We have a lot of celebrities that do come directly to our stores and buy from us."

46. Wide of chocolate conveyer belt

47. Mid of chocolatier putting chocolate on conveyer belt

48. Close of melted chocolate

49. Close of chocolates on conveyer belt

US EASTER CHOCOLATE

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

RESTRICTIONS: AP CLIENTS ONLY

LENGTH: 6:29

SHOTLIST:

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Beverly Hills, California, US - 15 March 2018

1. Pull out of Easter eggs and chocolates

2. Various of Easter eggs and chocolates

3. Close of spinning chocolate on enrober

4. Pull out from picture on wall to wide of assembly line cooling tunnel

5. Close of Easter chocolates moving along assembly line

6. Various of Easter candy designs being placed on chocolates

7. Set up of Ed Engoron, President and CEO of Perspectives/The Consulting Group

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ed Engoron, President and CEO of Perspectives/The Consulting Group:

"Well the chocolate industry right now is very exciting both for consumers and processors because we are going broach over 100 billion dollars this year and that's the first time. That's up about 8 percent in the last 10 years. The Swiss continue to consume about the most chocolate and that's right about 10 kilos a year. The Austrians and the Germans follow very closely behind and that is about 9 kilos a year and America is right around, somewhere around 5 kilos a year."

9. Pull out of Edelweiss Chocolates exterior

10. Close of Edelweiss Candy Kitchen sign

11. Wide interior with customer buying Easter bunnies

12. Wide tilt down of Easter chocolates on shelves

13. Mid of Easter baskets on shelves

14. Wide of Zahir family working on chocolates in kitchen

15. Pull out of Danny Zahirpour, Creative Director and head chocolatier, Edelweiss Chocolates

16. Wide of the hand painted speckled eggs

17. Various of Zahirpour splattering colouring into speckled egg molds

18. Pull out of chocolate being poured in speckled egg mold

19. Mid of Zahirpour flipping mold and tapping out excess chocolate

20. Mid of Zahirpour scraping excess chocolate from speckled egg mold

21. Wide tilt up of Zahirpour putting two speckled eggs halves together

22. Close of sealed speckled egg completed

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Danny Zahirpour, creative director and head chocolatier, Edelweiss Chocolates:

"This year for us we are doing something new, we are doing our handmade speckled eggs. They are about 7 inches long and they are hand molded and we speckle them with coloured coco butter by hand so it's almost like a hand painted design. Think about Jackson Pollack, splattering the paint on the molds. And then we shell the egg and then we demold them and put them together in a 3D fashion and then they stand on a platform and then they are boxed with a beautiful spring ribbon."

24. Mid of gold chocolate bunny and gold egg

25. Close of gold chocolate egg

26. Various of Zahirpour hand creating gold chocolate bunny

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

West Hollywood, California, US - 15 March, 2018

27. Pull out of Katherine Spiers, food critic at KCRW, NPR public radio

28. SOUNDBITE (English) Katherine Spiers, food critic at KCRW, NPR public radio:

"People like to eat fancy chocolate around Easter. This is the holiday where you will see people spending more of their money on the high-end chocolates so the expensive chocolatiers are going to see a big bump in business around Easter compared to say Valentine's Day and Halloween where people are buying sort of more inexpensive chocolate candy, which might come in a bulk bag, that sort of thing. It's less elegant than Easter chocolate."

29. Pull out of John Kelly Chocolates exterior

30. Close of John Kelly Chocolates sandwich board

31. Pull out of interior

32. Wide of John Kelson with client offering chocolate sample

33. Close of client eating Easter chocolate sample

34. Mid pan of framed press articles

35. Wide of shelves with chocolate boxes

36. Close of milk chocolate bunnies gift box

37. Pan of dark and milk chocolate bunnies on trays

38. Close dark and milk chocolate bunnies on trays

39. Wide of John Kelson, Kelly Green and chocolatier working in kitchen

40. Wide of John and Kelly preparing Easter bunnies

41. Mid of three Easter gift boxes

42. Mid of awards and Tower gift boxes

43. Close of 24 piece Assortment Boxes

44. Set up of John Kelson, CEO and co-owner of John Kelly Chocolates

45. SOUNDBITE (English) John Kelson, CEO and co-owner of John Kelly Chocolates:

"We have a big celebrity clientele. We're located in the heart of Hollywood in Los Angeles. I mean you can't get more in the centre of entertainment that that. So we do a lot of business with the studios. We have a lot of celebrities that do come directly to our stores and buy from us."

46. Wide of chocolate conveyer belt

47. Mid of chocolatier putting chocolate on conveyer belt

48. Close of melted chocolate

49. Close of chocolates on conveyer belt

LEADIN:

Chocolatiers across Beverly Hills and Hollywood are gearing up for Easter with their latest, high-end creations.

It comes as annual global chocolate sales are expected to top more than 100 billion US dollars for the first time.

STORYLINE:

Easter is fast approaching, a time for chocolatiers to bring out their most impressive and expensive creations.

And in Beverly Hills and Hollywood, the Easter delights are at their most luxurious.

From 18 karat gold bunnies to Jackson Pollock-inspired eggs, there is plenty to tempt customers, as long as they've got a budget to match.

Ed Engoron, President and CEO of Perspectives/The Consulting Group, an international food and restaurant consulting firm, says chocolate sales are at an all time high worldwide:

"Well the chocolate industry right now is very exciting both for consumers and processors because we are going broach over 100 billion dollars this year and that's the first time. That's up about 8 percent in the last 10 years. The Swiss continue to consume the most chocolate and that's right about 10 kilos a year. The Austrians and the Germans follow very closely behind and that is about 9 kilos a year and America is right around, somewhere around 5 kilos a year," he says.

The market research agency Statista says that increased consumption from India, China and Asian Pacific countries is driving the industry, as those consumers grow more accustomed to 'Western' tastes, along with a belief in the health benefits of eating dark chocolate.

The appetite for chocolate has been growing so much that analysts predict a 30 percent increase in global cocoa demand by 2020.

Edelweiss Chocolates of Beverly Hills has been a chocolate institution since 1942.

During the golden Age of Hollywood, it catered to Hollywood royalty, including the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra and Katherine Hepburn.

The store is filled with handmade premium artisan chocolates, made using traditional techniques and sold in Hollywood and abroad.

Owned by the Zahir family, Edelweiss has enjoyed a unique place in the fabric of Beverly Hills history for many years.

Lucille Ball was a regular customer of Edelweiss and used to enter through the backdoor, passing the conveyor belt.

Rumour has it the infamous chocolate conveyer belt episode in I Love Lucy was inspired by Edelweiss.

Danny Zahirpour, the creative director and head chocolatier, says vibrant colours on chocolate eggs are the big trend this year.

In line with that trend, he's created a modern speckled painted Easter egg made from scratch with a splatter technique.

Each cost 59.95 US Dollars and are in big demand this season.

"They are hand molded and we speckle them with coloured coco butter by hand so it's almost like a handpainted design," he says.

"Think about Jackson Pollack, splattering the paint on the molds. Then we shell the egg and then we demold them and put them together in a 3D fashion and then they stand on a platform and then they are boxed with a beautiful Spring ribbon."

He also hand brushes and paints 18-karat gold chocolate bunnies which sell for 24.95 US Dollars each.

He says Easter is a time people will spend more money on fine, handcrafted chocolates.

Katherine Spiers, food critic at KCRW, NPR public radio agrees.

"People like to eat fancy chocolate around Easter. This is the holiday where you will see people spending more of their money on the high-end chocolates so the expensive chocolatiers are going to see a big bump in business around Easter compared to say Valentine's Day and Halloween," she says.

Kelly Green and John Kelson (aka John Kelly Chocolates) cater to Hollywood's elite and are known for some of the finest chocolates.

They specialise in handmade, ultra luxurious gift boxes and presentations, making their chocolates with natural ingredients in small batches.

One of their most popular items at Easter is the combined dark and milk chocolate bunnies in small round gift boxes (10.50 US Dollars for two bunnies).

They say they sell thousands of these bunnies each Easter.

Kelson says artisan, high quality chocolates are the biggest growing segment and are hugely popular with corporate Hollywood and VIPS.

"We have a big celebrity clientele. We're located in the heart of Hollywood in Los Angeles. I mean you can't get anymore in the centre of entertainment that that. So we do a lot of business with the studios. We have a lot of celebrities that do come directly to our stores and buy from us," he says.

Kelson says their business keeps growing and there is always a peak in business around holiday times.

He says e-commerce is also growing in leaps and bounds as people want the convenience of shopping online.

====

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com.

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

LEAD IN:

With record-breaking new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Hungary, confectioner Laszlo Rimoczi was thinking how he could help, and urge more people to register for a COVID-19 vaccination.

So, this Easter, he's launching a new handmade product to convey a positive message - chocolate Easter bunnies holding vaccine syringes.

STORY-LINE:

In this tiny chocolate workshop in the town of Lajosmizse, some 70 kilometres (42 miles) south of Budapest, this year's Easter bunnies hold vaccine syringes in their paws.

Hungary is in its third wave of the pandemic and vaccinations are in full swing.

Confectioner Rimoczi wanted to play his part in emphasising the importance of vaccination, while turning toward the future and recovery from the pandemic.

The vaccine symbolises a ray of hope, he says.

"I didn't want to put a mask on the Easter bunny anymore. I no longer wanted to draw attention to the closure, but to the opening instead," he says.

"To me, vaccination is the solution and an opportunity for a good future. Only the vaccine can cure the world. I think my product conveys this positive message."

Rimoczi's business, a small chocolate store attached to his workshop, suffered big losses as the pandemic hit last year.

He had to let all three of his employees go and is now running production and the store alone.

The confectioner says that, as with last year, 2021 will mostly be spent in his workshop in Lajosmizse.

He's not preparing to appear at various culinary events, as it's not possible to predict when lockdowns might end.

He says customer habits are slowly starting to change too - many more are looking for sweets for their own consumption because they're no longer receiving guests or organising family and social events.

"Since most of the weddings have also been cancelled, cake making, which was always my main source of income, decreased significantly," he says.

While Hungary has emerged as a European Union leader in COVID-19 vaccinations, new coronavirus cases are being detected at an all-time high, putting unprecedented strain on its healthcare system and resulting in skyrocketing COVID-19-related deaths.

Hungary's government hopes mass vaccination will bring an end to the surge in the pandemic, a strategy built on procuring vaccines from outside the European Union.

In February, the country became the first in the EU to begin using China's Sinopharm and Russia's Sputnik V vaccines.

According to the Johns Hopkins University tally, as of Friday (March 19), Hungary, which has a population of about ten million, has reported almost 550,000 coronavirus cases and over 17,500 related deaths.

As of Friday (March 19), nearly 1.5 million people had received at least a first shot, giving Hungary the 2nd highest vaccination rate in the European Union.

Hungary reported 10,759 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the highest daily total since the beginning of the pandemic.

Lajosmizse, Hungary, March 13, 2021

1. Pan left of handmade chocolate Easter bunnies holding vaccine syringes

2. Wide of confectioner Laszlo Rimoczi's shop

3. Mid of handmade chocolate Easter bunnies holding vaccine syringes

4. Various of confectioner Laszlo Rimoczi packaging chocolate Easter bunnies holding vaccine syringes

5. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Laszlo Rimoczi, confectioner:

"We have been producing chocolate rabbits for 5-6 years. But for the first time this year, we decorated them with chocolate vaccines. With this, we want to take a positive step forward in this difficult period of the virus."

6. Various of confectioner taking newly made chocolate syringes out of mold

7. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Laszlo Rimoczi, confectioner:

"What else could a bunny bring us this year than a vaccine?"

8. Close of melted chocolate

9. Close of Rimoczi filling mold with melted chocolate

10. Mid of confectioner working

11. Close of melted chocolate

12. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Laszlo Rimoczi, confectioner:

"I didn't want to put a mask on the Easter bunny anymore. I no longer wanted to draw attention to the closure, but to the opening instead. To me, vaccination is the solution and an opportunity for a good future. Only the vaccine can cure the world. I think my product conveys this positive message."

13. Wide of Romoczi filling mold with melted chocolate

14. Close of Romoczi filling mold with melted chocolate

15. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Laszlo Rimoczi, confectioner:

"I bought the smallest syringes at the pharmacy. After a little remodeling, I created the mold by myself using the real syringes. It wasn't an easy task to make the mold, which can host ten vaccines. But now, chocolate can be poured into the silicone mold easily, either milk or dark chocolate."

16. Tilt down to handmade chocolate Easter bunnies holding vaccine syringes

17. Wide of confectioner arranging chocolates in store

18. Pan of handmade chocolate Easter bunnies holding vaccine syringes

19. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Laszlo Rimoczi, confectioner:

"Unfortunately, after the virus reached Hungary, culinary events were cancelled, and we lost most of our trading partners. Since most of the weddings have also been cancelled, cake making, which was always my main source of income, decreased significantly. Unfortunately, I had to terminate the contracts of all three of my employees. Now, I run the business alone."

20. Close of handmade chocolate Easter bunnies holding vaccine syringes

21. Wide of Rimoczi arranging chocolates in store

22. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Laszlo Rimoczi, confectioner:

"I feel that after a lot of sad and negative things, it is very important to convey a positive message to my customers. If this can help motivate people to go and vaccinate themselves, I feel that my job is worthwhile."

23. Pan of store

24. Close of chocolate Easter bunnies holding vaccine syringes

25. Various of Rimoczi colouring chocolate syringes

BITTERSWEET EASTER FOR VIRUS-HIT BELGIAN CHOCOLATIERS

Health officials in Belgium declared chocolate factories "essential businesses", allowing chocolatiers to continue to sell chocolate eggs and Easter bunnies during the coronavirus lockdown.

Despite being able to stay open, sales are still down from previous years with the coronavirus crisis happening during their peak season.

Head of the Royal Belgian Association of the Chocolate, Pralines, Biscuit and Confectionary Guy Gallet said Easter usually represents "15 to 25 percent of the yearly income" for those in the chocolate industry but "this year that percentage is likely to be far lower."

Some of chocolatiers, have tried to keep the Easter spirit up, even in hard times.

Genevieve Trepant's of the Cocoatree chocolatier in Lonzee saw a funny photo of a bunny with a face mask.

It got her thinking and she now sells chocolate bunnies with a face mask of white chocolate.

Part of the money from the sale goes to the King Baudouin Foundation, a major charitable foundation supporting health care staff.

"It all started as humour, but then we decided to make something meaningful out of it, so this is my small contribution," she said.

In Belgium, the production of chocolate has an annual turnover of five billion Euros (almost six billion US dollars) with an annual consumption of six kilograms per person.

"Most of the chocolatiers are living from tourists, thank God I have a lot of locals who are shopping in my place, but I am afraid if we do not get tourists anymore it will be a disaster, even in the future…", said Dominique Persoone a chocolate shop owner in Brugge.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.

Halle - 8 April 2020

1. Pan of Praleen chocolate shop owner Marleen Van Volsem with Easter chocolate bunnies

2. Various of Van Volsem wrapping bunnies

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Marleen Van Volsem, Praleen chocolate shop owner:

"The people give a lot of chocolate; the Easter eggs, the filled eggs, the little figures that we make, that is something very big for us and and it is really one of the biggest income sources of the year."

4. Various of employees filling up chocolate moulds

Lonzee - 8 April 2020

5. Wide of Cocoatree shop owner Genevieve Trepant preparing chocolate bunnies with protective face

masks made of white chocolate

6. Close of bunnies with masks

7. SOUNDBITE (French) Genevieve Trepant, Cocoatree shop owner:

"It all started as humour, but then we decided to make something meaningful out of it, so this is my small contribution."

8. Mid of Trepant making chocolate bunnies

9. Various of Trepant putting white chocolate masks on bunnies

10. Wide of Trepant

Brugge - 10 April 2020

11. Exterior of The Chocolate Line shop in Brugge

12. The Chocolate Line shop owner Dominique Persoone inside empty production room

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Dominique Persoone, The Chocolate Line shop owner:

"Well of course we do not know what the future will bring, most of the chocolatiers are living from tourists, thank God I have a lot of locals who are shopping in my place, but I am afraid if we do not get tourists anymore it will be a disaster, even in the future…"

14. Wide of shop warehouse with bags of Easter chocolate

15. Close of bags

16. Employee bringing bag to customer

Brussels - 7 April 2020

17. Wide pan of empty Grand Place, in downtown Brussels

18. Closed chocolate shop on Grand Place

Brussels - 9 April 2020

19. SOUNDBITE (French) Guy Gallet, head of the Royal Belgian Association of the Chocolate, Pralines, Biscuit and Confectionary (Choprabisco):

"Easter usually represents 15 to 25 percent of the yearly income (of the chocolate industry). But obviously for this year that percentage is likely to be far lower."

Brussels - 7 April 2020

20. Closed chocolate shop

21. Woman wearing face mask looking at front window

22. Easter chocolate displayed in window

23. Chocolate box reading (English): "Easter greetings"

Health officials in Belgium declared chocolate factories "essential businesses", allowing chocolatiers to continue to sell chocolate eggs and Easter bunnies during the coronavirus lockdown.

Despite being able to stay open, sales are still down from previous years with the coronavirus crisis happening during their peak season.

Head of the Royal Belgian Association of the Chocolate, Pralines, Biscuit and Confectionary Guy Gallet said Easter usually represents "15 to 25 percent of the yearly income" for those in the chocolate industry but "this year that percentage is likely to be far lower."

Some of chocolatiers, have tried to keep the Easter spirit up, even in hard times.

Genevieve Trepant's of the Cocoatree chocolatier in Lonzee saw a funny photo of a bunny with a face mask.

It got her thinking and she now sells chocolate bunnies with a face mask of white chocolate.

Part of the money from the sale goes to the King Baudouin Foundation, a major charitable foundation supporting health care staff.

"It all started as humour, but then we decided to make something meaningful out of it, so this is my small contribution," she said.

In Belgium, the production of chocolate has an annual turnover of five billion Euros (almost six billion US dollars) with an annual consumption of six kilograms per person.

"Most of the chocolatiers are living from tourists, thank God I have a lot of locals who are shopping in my place, but I am afraid if we do not get tourists anymore it will be a disaster, even in the future…", said Dominique Persoone a chocolate shop owner in Brugge.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.

Halle - 8 April 2020

1. Pan of Praleen chocolate shop owner Marleen Van Volsem with Easter chocolate bunnies

2. Various of Van Volsem wrapping bunnies

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Marleen Van Volsem, Praleen chocolate shop owner:

"The people give a lot of chocolate; the Easter eggs, the filled eggs, the little figures that we make, that is something very big for us and and it is really one of the biggest income sources of the year."

4. Various of employees filling up chocolate moulds

Lonzee - 8 April 2020

5. Wide of Cocoatree shop owner Genevieve Trepant preparing chocolate bunnies with protective face

masks made of white chocolate

6. Close of bunnies with masks

7. SOUNDBITE (French) Genevieve Trepant, Cocoatree shop owner:

"It all started as humour, but then we decided to make something meaningful out of it, so this is my small contribution."

8. Mid of Trepant making chocolate bunnies

9. Various of Trepant putting white chocolate masks on bunnies

10. Wide of Trepant

Brugge - 10 April 2020

11. Exterior of The Chocolate Line shop in Brugge

12. The Chocolate Line shop owner Dominique Persoone inside empty production room

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Dominique Persoone, The Chocolate Line shop owner:

"Well of course we do not know what the future will bring, most of the chocolatiers are living from tourists, thank God I have a lot of locals who are shopping in my place, but I am afraid if we do not get tourists anymore it will be a disaster, even in the future…"

14. Wide of shop warehouse with bags of Easter chocolate

15. Close of bags

16. Employee bringing bag to customer

Brussels - 7 April 2020

17. Wide pan of empty Grand Place, in downtown Brussels

18. Closed chocolate shop on Grand Place

Brussels - 9 April 2020

19. SOUNDBITE (French) Guy Gallet, head of the Royal Belgian Association of the Chocolate, Pralines, Biscuit and Confectionary (Choprabisco):

"Easter usually represents 15 to 25 percent of the yearly income (of the chocolate industry). But obviously for this year that percentage is likely to be far lower."

Brussels - 7 April 2020

20. Closed chocolate shop

21. Woman wearing face mask looking at front window

22. Easter chocolate displayed in window

23. Chocolate box reading (English): "Easter greetings"

SHOTLIST

Dresden, 19 March 2008 2008

1. Wide exterior of Saxon Folk Art Museum

2. Wide interior of museum hallway

3. Mid of girl looking at tree branches decorated with Easter eggs

4. Close of display cabinet with eggs, pan to upper shelf

5. Close of painted egg

6. Various of decorated eggs in cabinet

7. Mid of woman threading needle

8. Close of woman's hands inserting card into envelope

9. Mid of woman placing eggs on tree branch

10. Wide of display cabinet with eggs

11. Mid of two jars in cabinet and decorated eggs

12. Close of two painted eggs

13. Close of painted egg depicting crucifixion of Jesus Christ

14. Close pan along crucifixion eggs in display cabinet

15. Mid of two seamstresses talking to visitors

16. Close pan down seamstress to hands sewing

17. Mid of a family of wooden Easter bunnies

18. Close of wooden Easter bunny

19. Wide of hall in exhibition

20. Mid of woman sitting behind exhibit talking to visitor

21. Close of jars on table containing egg dye

22. Close of heated metal spoon over candle, used to paint with a quill

23. SOUNDBITE (German) Baerbel Lange, manufacturer of Sorbian eggs:

"One gets in the mood for Easter by working with the Easter eggs and it gives Easter a wonderful meaning. You do it with other people and talk about it from the end of January."

24. Close up of partly decorated Sorbian egg

25. Mid of children at table painting wooden Easter bunnies

26. Close of young girl painting

27. Mid of three painted eggs in cabinet depicting Easter bunnies

28. Close of woman and ornately decorated Easter egg, pan down painted eggs in traditional Russian style

29. Mid of shelves with Russian style eggs

30. Close up of Russian style egg

31. SOUNDBITE (German) Wassa Rosina-Bergmann, artist:

"I am doing it in the traditional Russian style. Actually, everyone knows it and this very beautiful style is easy to recognise. I also love to put an interpretation of great artists onto the eggs. I am fascinated by the way an image develops around the egg."

32. Wide of glass display cabinet

33. Close two eggs with flowers

34. Close up of painted ostrich egg

35. Mid of cabinet with egg with horseshoe and silver ornaments

36. SOUNDBITE (German) Bernd Herrde, Saxon Folk Art Museum curator:

"One can even find horseshoes on eggs, eggs that are shod with horseshoes. This is of course a little trick by Hungarian blacksmiths. Straw applications are put on eggs, eggs are painted. Eggs are coloured with natural pigments or pasted up with gemstones. Additionally, decoration is also made by knitting, crocheting or tatting. Everything is possible."

37. Close up of dove egg with 89 miniature horseshoes

38. Mid of basket with colourful eggs

39. Close of egg lacquered in Russian style

40. Wide of exhibition room behind branched with Easter egg

LEAD IN:

An exhibition of around one thousand painted and decorated Easter eggs are on show at the Saxon Folk Art Museum in the German city of Dresden.

The museum's complete collection boasts around four thousand eggs in total.

Decorating Easter eggs is one of many folk arts with a long tradition in Germany, particularly in Saxony.

STORYLINE

The decorated Easter egg exhibition at the Saxon Folk Art Museum in Dresden displays not just a vast collection of eggs, but also provides a forum for local and international artists.

A variety of different craft techniques can be seen in the exhibition.

The egg was originally a symbol for fertility in many cultures.

For the Christian religion, eggs symbolise new life and rebirth.

Manufacturer of Sorbian eggs, Baerbel Lange, says decorating eggs is fun and gets her and her friends in the Easter mood.

She says she looks forward to Easter from the end of January onwards - largely due to egg decoration.

The egg is attractive to folk artists mostly because of its shape, form and surface.

Russian artist, Wassa Rosina-Bergmann, says she is fascinated by the way an image develops around the egg.

She says Russian style eggs are popular and are highly distinctive.

In the Russian tradition, artists use wooden eggs of different sizes, which are painted with lacquer.

Eggs decorated with traditional Sorbian methods are usually hard boiled.

Sorbian artists used various techniques, such as engraving the eggs with a quill.

Motifs on eggs are supposed to protect house and home.

Decorations on eggs in the exhibition range from hen's eggs to ostrich and dove's eggs.

Some eggs are decorated with the traditional Easter bunnies.

Others depict the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and classical and modern designs.

One egg on display even has horseshoes, traditionally created by Hungarian blacksmiths.

The curator of Saxon Folk Art Museum, Bernd Herrde, says the horseshoe technique means to paste straw applications onto the egg's surface.

He says eggs are then coloured with natural pigments or pasted up with gemstones.

The exhibition has been running seventeen years and takes place from 15 - 30th March each year.

AUSTRIA EASTER PREPS

SHOTLIST:

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

LENGTH: 05:08

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Vienna, Austria - 13 April 2022

1. Wide of traditional Easter Market on Freyung square in historic city centre, giant egg rotating

2. Tilt down from church to market

3. Mid of painted Easter bunny among hand-painted eggs on display

4. Close of hand-painted egg showing Easter lamb

5. Various of people choosing eggs

6. Various of eggs hanging from wreath

7. Mid of woman handing over egg

8. Mid of eggs with cross-stitch pattern, birds hanging

9. Mid of woman paying, bag being handed over

10. Wide of women taking pictures with mobile phones

11. Pull focus of pink eggs

12. SOUNDBITE (German) Karin Tornhammer, Schoenbrunn Easter market organiser spokesperson, MTS – Marketing Tourismus Synergie Wien GmbH:

"It is not in the whole of Austria, but mainly in the east. Just before Easter we like to decorate Easter bouquets. So we have these willow catkin branches and maybe other branches too, and we hang the Easter eggs on them. We have a tradition of doing it just before Easter weekend."

13. Mid of person setting up a wooden eggs display

14. Pull focus of eggs hanging

15. Close of golden goose eggs

16. Close of painted ostrich eggs

17. Close of eggs showing portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, St Stephen cathedral

18. Mid of eggs hanging

19. Wide of market

20. Close of sign reading (German): "Old Viennese Easter Market"

21. Mid of horse and carriage passing market

22. Wide of painting along back of market, depicting Jesus Christ's crucifixion

23. Pan left from Schoenbrunn palace to Easter Market

24. Wide of giant eggs among crowd

25. Mid of giant eggs laying on grass

26. SOUNDBITE (German) Karin Tornhammer, Schoenbrunn Easter market organiser spokesperson, MTS – Marketing Tourismus Synergie Wien GmbH:

"The first market was in 2003, which would have been our 20th market this year, but due to the pandemic, the last two markets were cancelled."

27. Wide of hut reading (German): "Easter bunnies atelier"

28. Various of crowd in market, palace entrance seen in background

29. Wide of chicken mascot 'Roberta' waving in front of atelier, giant eggs in foreground  

30. SOUNDBITE (German) Karin Tornhammer, Schoenbrunn Easter market organiser spokesperson, MTS – Marketing Tourismus Synergie Wien GmbH:

"There are many tourists because of course Schoenbrunn is a visitor magnet par excellence but there are also many Viennese who come here specifically to buy their Easter gifts from the exhibitors or come back every year and buy a little piece for themselves."

31. Wide of Tornhammer speaking to mascot

32. Close low angle shot of mascot

33. Mid of fountain, palace in background, ribbons in twigs in foreground

34. Pan left from palace to market

35. Mid of carousel, Easter market in background

36. Wide of stand reading (German): "Hand-painted eggs", carousel in foreground

37. Mid of golden Easter bunny surrounded by eggs

38. Close of egg hanging, depicting St Stephen cathedral

39. Close of egg, bowl of strawberry cocktail

40. Various of strawberry cocktail being poured

41. Mid of food stand

42. Mid of pretzels on display

43. Close of flowers

44. Various of stand with sign reading (German): "Spring Awakening"

45. Wide of crowd at palace courtyard main door

46. Wide of crowd and atelier, lamppost in foreground

LEADIN:

Vienna's Christmas markets are famous all across Europe, but have you heard of their spring version?

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the Easter Markert of Vienna is back.

STORYLINE:

They come in a single shape but all sizes: Easter eggs are the star of the show of the spring markets in Vienna.

Some are hand-painted, others come with ornaments.

These are used as decorations, hanging from willow catkin branches.

In the historical centre of Vienna, visitors do their Easter shopping at the 31st edition of the "Old Viennese Easter Market."

It is located on the Freyung, an old square well-known for its traditional markets.

There are eggs in all sizes: from chicken to goose or even ostrich eggs.

Some have ribbons or beads glued to their shells, others are scraped with a sharp knife, a tradition coming from the eastern province Burgenland.

There, a century-old community of ethnic Croats has been passing on the craftsmanship technique from generation to generation.

Most of the eggs on display come from Austria, but some come also from neighbouring countries such as the Czech Republic or Poland, which also have long-established Easter egg traditions.

At Schoenbrunn Palace -- the Summer residence of the Habsburg -- visitors are greeted by giant eggs and about 70 stands.

"It is not in the whole of Austria, but mainly in the east. Just before Easter we like to decorate Easter bouquets. So we have these willow catkin branches and maybe other branches too, and we hang the Easter eggs on them. We have a tradition of doing it just before Easter weekend," says Karin Tornhammer, Schoenbrunn Easter market organiser spokesperson, MTS – Marketing Tourismus Synergie Wien GmbH.

Crowds are enjoying the sunshine in the palace courtyard, a stark contrast to the opening of the market ten days before when it snowed.

And the Viennese haven't had their Easter markets since 2019.

"The first market was in 2003, which would have been our 20th market this year, but due to the pandemic, the last two markets were cancelled," says Tornhammer.

Schoenbrunn being one of the Austrian capital's landmarks, it attracts a lot of foreign tourists.

But Viennese slang is also heard throughout the market.

"There are many tourists because of course Schoenbrunn is a visitor magnet par excellence but there are also many Viennese who come here specifically to buy their Easter gifts from the exhibitors or come back every year and buy a little piece for themselves," says Tornhammer.

The Easter markets usually open two weeks before Easter.

The Schoenbrunn's and Old Viennese Easter Market on Freyung both run until 18 April 2022.

====

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com.

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

Moscow has been adorned with colourful Easter decorations ahead of one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the country.

Muscovites on Friday said they loved the way the city looked decorated with church replicas, large floral frames, bunnies and Easter eggs on trees.

Greek Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox pilgrims are commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ this Sunday.

Catholics and Protestants marked Good Friday and Easter Sunday in March this year.

Moscow has been adorned with colourful Easter decorations ahead of one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the country.

Muscovites on Friday said they loved the way the city looked decorated with church replicas, large floral frames, bunnies and Easter eggs on trees.

Greek Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox pilgrims are commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ this Sunday.

Catholics and Protestants marked Good Friday and Easter Sunday in March this year.

Moscow, Russia - 29 April, 2016

1. Wide of the Bolshoi Theatre square

2. Various of sand gates

3. Various of people taking picture of different statues

4. Various of Easter eggs

5. SOUNDBITE (Russian): Ekaterina Gumenyuk, magazine editor

"It is wow! I have heard a lot about decorations this year and really wanted to go and check them out. My friends are busy so I went on my own. And I am so impressed! Started taking photos of everything."

6. Various of floral arches and copies of different churches set up as Easter decorations

7. SOUNDBITE (Russian): Anton Lyubomiv, construction manager

"Our city is mostly quite grey, but these bright spots (decorations) - they are very pleasant to look at."

8. Various of Pushkin square decorated with Easter bunnies-eggs and large floral frames for taking photos

9. SOUNDBITE (Russian): Ksenia Karimova, hotel worker

"Everything is great. We were surprised to see that they even used fresh flowers for decorations. There interesting quests and presents, so we are really enjoying here and will now go to see other squares."

10. Various of Pushkin square

English/Nat

Hundreds of children gathered on the White House lawn on Monday for the annual Easter egg roll.

30-thousand children and their families converged on the South Lawn to participate in an annual tradition dating back 120 years.

The Marine band, seated in the shade of the South Portico, played, "The Easter Parade," instead of "Hail to the Chief" as the president entered.

Easter bunnies flanked him and waved to the kids.

Giant costumed Easter eggs, each wearing a bright Easter bonnet, danced near a display of Easter confections made by pastry chefs from around the country.

One showed an egg-shaped globe held aloft by two angels.

Another featured Socks, the White House cat.

After being introduced by the First Lady, the president expressed confidence that the roll would go smoothly.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Are we ready to start the egg roll? Barney where is the whistle? This is the one thing every year I know no matter what else happens I will do right. I'm going to count three and blow the whistle, right? One, two, three ....."

SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, U.S. President

The White House kitchen dyed 7,200 hard-boiled eggs for the egg roll, an Easter Monday event that dates to 1879 and the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes.

The crowds began lining up way before dawn to get tickets for access to the lawn.

The main event involves a child aged three to six to take a large spoon and roll a hard-boiled egg across about 20 feet (6 metres) of lawn.

An additional two and a half thousand eggs were ready for children to colour themselves at the on the sprawling South Lawn and the adjoining Ellipse.

Some 25-thousand durable wooden keepsake eggs were ready for distribution to the guests, all aged from three to six years old.

No adults are allowed without such a child in tow

Each of the gift egg had the silhouette of the White House and the engraved signatures of the president and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton on them.

This year, in an innovation unimaginable to Rutherford and Lucy Hayes, the egg roll, story-telling by celebrities and Clinton's welcoming remarks were being cybercast over the Internet.

The Clintons celebrated their own Easter holiday Sunday at Camp David, the presidential retreat in western Maryland.

There, the president watched the Masters golf tournament on television and received thanks from world leaders for his help in brokering a Northern Ireland peace agreement.

Washington D.C., U-S-A, April 13, 1998.

1. Wide view of White House

2. Pan view of President Clinton and First Lady walking down steps

3. Close-up President walking to stage, hugging Easter Bunny

4. Wide view of stage

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Bill Clinton, U-S President

6. Close-up President blowing whistle

7. Pull back view of children rolling eggs

8. Close-up Bill Clinton with Easter Bunny

9. Pan view of crowd

10. Close-up views of children rolling eggs

SHOTLIST

1. White lioness inside enclosure approaching Easter egg containing food, surrounded by her cubs

2. Close-up of cub inside enclosure

3. Close of lioness eating egg containing food, cub approaching

4. Cutaway of zoo visitors watching lions

5. Lioness approaching Easter egg containing food

6. Cubs eating

7. Zoo visitors watching lions

8. Pan right of cubs

9. Lioness biting into Easter egg containing food

10.SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Marcia Saban, Zoo biologist:

"We offer them replicas of Easter eggs painted with drawings inspired by Argentine artists, as well as Easter bunnies. Obviously the animals don't know it is Easter, they don't know what Easter eggs are, but we hide bits of their food inside the eggs."

11. Wide of polar bear approaching Easter eggs

12. Various of child watching polar bear

13. Various of polar bear chewing food from Easter presents

STORYLINE

Easter arrived early this year for the animals living in Buenos Aires Zoo, Argentina.

On Thursday, they found colourful Easter-eggs in their enclosures containing their usual food.

"We offer them replicas of Easter eggs painted with drawings inspired by Argentine artists, as well as Easter bunnies. Obviously the animals don't know it is Easter, they don't know what Easter eggs are, but we hide bits of their food inside the eggs," explained zoo biologist Marcia Saban.

A white lioness and her cubs approached the eggs with suspicion at first, but soon discovered the meat inside.

The cubs were born in the zoo last November to a couple of white lions brought from South Africa.

The resident polar bear was also enjoying Easter treats by the pool.

The Easter show was all part of the zoo's latest publicity campaign linked to the Christian calendar in order to boost visitor numbers during the holidays.

animals wacky

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide of exterior Pierre Marcolini chocolate shop

2. Mid of exterior Pierre Marcolini shop

3. Mid of shop window, pan down from poster of chocolate egg to real chocolate eggs

4. Close up chocolate eggs in shop window

5. Exterior Godiva chocolate shop

6. Close up the word "egg", pull out to poster reading "Eggstraordinary" with chocolate eggs

7. Closeup chocolate egg

8. Exterior Wittamer chocolate shop, with people looking at the window display

9. Mid of chocolate eggs in the shop window

10. Closeup small girl looking at the window display

11. Chocolate Easter bunny

12. Interior Wittamer chocolate shop with people at the counter, including European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson

13. Closeup EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson

14. Wide of customers in the Wittamer shop

15. Closeup chocolate eggs looking like hen''s eggs

16. Chocolate Easter bunnies

17. Setup Myriam Wittamer, Director of the Wittamer chocolate shop

18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Myriam Wittamer, Director of the Wittamer chocolate shop

"For the chocolates? It is definitely the second most busy time of the year, after the end of the year; Christmas and New Year''s Eve."

19. Cutaway chocolates

20. SOUNDBITE: (French) Myriam Wittamer, Director of the Wittamer chocolate shop

"Of course it is a religious festival, therefore it is an important time for me personally, but what is also very special about Easter is that it signifies rejuvenation after winter. Apart from that, yes it''s true it''s a commercial festival for us because we are in the chocolate business, but it is not absolutely the most important thing for me."

21. Closeup chocolate Easter bunny and eggs

22. Wide of interior Wittamer chocolate shop

STORYLINE

Few places in the world celebrate chocolate the way they do in Belgium.

This is particularly true with the arrival of Easter and Holy Week, key dates in the Christian calendar.

The chocolate shops that line the streets of the old town in Brussels transform their window displays into the ultimate chocolate showcase, luring sweet toothed passers by inside.

This is where praline was invented - by Neuhaus. The first chocolate bar was made here - in 1921 by a company called Kwatta. It is also where chocolate spread was first patented.

A potted history to explain Belgium''s passion for chocolate suggests that it is partly due to strong ties with some of the best suppliers of the base ingredient - cocoa - in the world.

That''s why shops like Godiva''s are known the world over and brand their praline coated easter products as "eggstraordinary".

Locals and resident eurocrats alike, among them EU Commissioner Peter Mandelson who was spotted shopping here in the Wittamer family-run shop, cannot stay away.

Owner Myriam Wittamer said Easter was not just about religious celebration.

It is also the second busiest season in the year for the chocolate trade, after Christmas and New Year''s Eve.

Chocolate here has and always will be considered the perfect gift as any normal chocolate lover will be quick to remind you.

keyword - wacky

1. Pan across variety of decorated Easter eggs hanging from apple tree in garden

2. Close-up of Easter chick figure in open egg decorated with leaves, hanging from branch of apple tree

3. Mid of decorated eggs

4. Close-up of egg decorated with pearls sparkling in sunlight

5. Wide of Easter egg tree in garden

6. Wide of 76-year-old Volker Kraft with box of decorated eggs

7. Mid of Kraft putting down box with decorated eggs

8. Close-up reverse shot of Kraft working in garden shed

9. Tourists in front of shed with Kraft looking out

10. Kraft walking around Easter tree

11. SOUNDBITE (German) Volker Kraft, creator of Easter egg tree:

"We've now reached the number of 10-thousand eggs, and now there will be no increase because I do not have storage capacity anymore. I would have to sleep with the eggs otherwise."

12. Wide of Kraft walking around Easter tree

13. SOUNDBITE (German) Volker Kraft, creator of Easter egg tree:

"When I went to school as a child, I used to pass a lilac shrub decorated at Easter, and this was my inspiration for my children. And 47 years ago this tree was a sapling decorated with 18 plastic eggs. You can now see here what develops after 47 years: when the tree grows, the wife blows the eggs and the children start painting."

14. Mid of visitors, pull focus to eggs on tree

15. Wide of Joerg Schleicher and other visitors in garden

16. SOUNDBITE (German) Vox pop, Joerg Schleicher, engineer visiting Easter tree:

"It's been done with great motivation and incentive, and is indeed very beautiful. We came here because we read about it in our new homeland. We have been living in Switzerland for a few years now, and it was in the papers."

17. Close-up of eggs on tree

18. SOUNDBITE (German) Vox pop, Charlotte Zink, 12-year-old from Erfurt:

"I find it great, it is so colourful and I really like the eggs, they are cool."

19. Close-up of Easter egg painted with 'Teletubby'

20. Tilt-up of Easter egg tree

21. Close-up of cardboard Easter bunnies sleeping underneath tree

STORYLINE:

An apple tree in Germany has been decorated with 10-thousand eggs ahead of the Christian Easter celebrations.

76-year-old Volker Kraft and his family have been adorning the tree for nearly half a century in their garden in the eastern town of Saalfeld.

"When I went to school as a child, I used to pass a lilac shrub decorated at Easter, and this was my inspiration for my children," Kraft said.

"And 47 years ago, this tree was a sapling decorated with 18 plastic eggs," he added. "You can now see here what develops after 47 years: when the tree grows, the wife blows the eggs and the children start painting."

The intricately decorated eggs now draw hundreds of visitors each year.

"We came here because we read about it in our new homeland. We have been living in Switzerland for a few years now, and it was in the papers," said visitor Joerg Schleicher.

Visitors can purchase decorated Easter eggs for five euros (6.60 US dollars) as well as postcards and DVDs, which Kraft sells from a booth in his garden.

Kraft says the magic figure of 10-thousand eggs will not rise in the coming years.

"There will be no increase because I do not have storage capacity anymore. I would have to sleep with the eggs otherwise," he said.

English/Nat

It was carnival time on the White House lawn Monday as thousands of children took part in the annual Easter Egg Roll.

The children rolled seven-thousand hard-boiled eggs - painted by the White House chef - across the grass. They were cheered on in the race by U-S President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary.

The event - based on an ancient Egyptian tradition - has been held in the grounds of the White house for almost two hundred years.

The South Lawn of the White House was the stage for the annual Easter carnival.

Thousands of excited children and their parents were gathered for the Easter Egg Roll across the grass.

They were joined by life-size Easter bunnies and a host of other well-known cartoon characters.

The President and Mrs Clinton kicked off the event.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

It's a great honour for us to be a part of this. It's one of the things that we're really thankful for the opportunity to live in the White House to do because it gives American children the chance to come here and be a part of this - I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, U-S President.

Seven-thousand hard-boiled eggs - dyed by the White House chef were used in the race.

The event began 187 years ago during James Madison's presidency at the suggestion of Mrs. Madison, who had learned that Egyptian children rolled colored eggs on the site of the Pyramids.

The idea caught on and has now become a fixed tradition on Easter Monday at the White House.

Washington DC - 8 April 1996

1. Wideshot children at the Easter carnival on White House lawn.

2. Various of life-size Easter bunnies, cartoon characters.

3. Children during the "egg roll race".

4. Cutaway parents.

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Bill Clinton - U-S President.

6. Wideshot race.

7. Wideshot lawn.

English/Nat

Americans celebrated Easter Sunday with a combination of popular and religious events.

In New York, bad weather didn't deter some from turning out to show off handmade Easter bonnets.

Under gloomy skies and in the shadow of Saint Patrick's cathedral, New Yorkers came out to celebrate Easter with their traditional parade down Fifth Avenue.

From the very old to the very young, participants in the procession sported elaborate Easter bonnets that ranged from the elegant to the outlandish.

Plastic Easter eggs and Easter decorations dangled from some hats, while others made a more obscure statement.

Celebrants say that in addition to being a lot of fun, the New York tradition brings people closer together.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

From all over the world, people come, that's what I love, is the spirit you feel only once a year, only on Easter, no other day of the year.

SUPER CAPTION: vox pop

SOUNDBITE: (English)

There's no other place I'd rather be on Easter than on Fifth Avenue. It's the only place to be.

SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop

Along with the children and the bonnets came Easter bunnies some fake, some imaginary, and some real.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

His name is Schizo. Only because I'm always on my hands and knees trying to catch him.

SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop

The parade also included cuddly toys.

In Washington D-C, the nation's capital, a more traditional Easter celebration took place.

At the non-denominational National Cathedral, parishioners celebrated the resurrection of Christ through the Festival Holy Eucharist.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life. Granted we who celebrate the day of the lord's resurrection. CUTAWAY For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the scriptures. He acceded into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the father.

SUPER CAPTION: Rev. Ronald Haines, Bishop of Washington

An estimated four thousand people crowded into the cathedral for the service.

Other Washington services included a sunrise sermon at Arlington Cemetery and a service at the national shrine.

New York and Washington D-C, United States 7 April 1996

New York

1. WS St Patrick's Cathedral pan down to man dressed as dog

2. Various of people in parade wearing Easter bonnets

3. SOUNDBITE: Voxpop

4. SOUNDBITE: Voxpop

5. Various of people in parade

6. SOUNDBITE: Voxpop

7. CU stuffed animals on hat, zoom out to parade

Washington D-C

7. WS interior of service in National Cathedral

8. Cutaway congregation

9. Reverend walks to altar

10. SOUNDBITE: Rev. Ronald Haines

11. Cutaway Jesus Christ on cross

12. SOUNDBITE: Rev. Ronald Haines

13. Cutaway clergyman

14. WS pulpit

15. Cutaway congregation

16. Scripture reading

17. Cutaway congregation

18. WS interior of cathedral

19. People walking out of cathedral tilt up to cathedral