Easter Celebrations in Italy

Easter is an important festival in Italy. It is known as Pasqua in this country. Perhaps, this is the second most important festival in the country after Christmas. While Christmas is marked with the birth of the Jesus Christ,

the significance of Easter lies in the death and the resurrection of the holy Christ. The festival also marks the arrival of the spring season.Whatsoever, its Celebrations in Italy are held in a big way with rituals, processions and passion plays. After a long period of Lent, people celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. The festivities that are held on Easter Monday are called Pasquetta or little Easter. The Easter Monday is dedicated to picnics and outdoor trips with family and the friends. The festival menu includes fresh peas and beans, artichokes served in frittella, and fresh tuna. The festival means a lot to the children. Pecorelle cli marza pane and hard-boiled egg are baked in various shapes to the delight of the children.

It would indeed be a great idea to visit Italy during this festive occasion. You will get the unique chance to discover the ancient Italian Easter traditions as well as explore the natural and the man-made attractions of this country.

Easter Celebrations in Italian Cities

Its Celebrations in Italy are marked with traditions and festivities. In Florence, the major feature is the ‘Explosion of the cart’which is known as ‘Scoppio del carro’celebrations. This dates back to three hundred years. A gigantic decorated cart, which was built in 1679 is dragged by white oxen along the streets of Florence. The white oxen are also garlanded on this occasion. The white oxen drag the cart till the cathedral.

In Sardinia, the celebration is known as Oliena. On the eventful day of Easter Sunday, people come out to the streets and celebrate S’Incontru. Two big processions are held. The participants in the processions dress up with typical costumes. One procession carries one statue of Jesus Christ and the other procession carries the statue of Virgin Mary. These two processions meet after a long walk through the streets.

If you are in Sicily during this time of the year, you will surely be tempted by Sicilian pastry. One of the major features of its celebrations in this Italian city is the preparation of ‘cassata’. This traditional Italian cuisine is made of homemade sponge, ricotta cheese and candied peel and is indeed a great treat.