In Italy, where the Catholic church has a unique standing, Easter (Pasqua) is celebrated like nowhere else.
If you visit at that time, you’ll discover an eclectic mix of rituals and ceremonies taking place in towns, villages and cities. These celebrations are second only to Christmas in Italy in gaiety and religious significance .
Easter is a week-long celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, Holy Week, and the Italians give special attention to the role of the Virgin Mary.
La Settimana Santa
The week of Easter is called La Settimana Santa. The four-day Easter weekend begins on Easter Thursday and finishes on Easter Monday. Each day is different.
Holy Thursday is marked by acknowledging the last supper Jesus had with his apostles. At the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and in many churches, it’s common to wash people’s feet as a symbolic reenactment of the event.
Holy Friday marks the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. A mass is held at all churches at 3 pm, but none can compete with the mass in Rome held by the Pope, televised annually. In all towns and cities in Italy, you’ll hear bells ringing at 3 pm to mark its beginning. Hundreds of passion plays are staged.
Holy Saturday is more solemn; a day for reflection of Christ’s sacrifice. Services are held throughout churches without music or any kind of extravagance, in keeping with the occasion.
Easter Sunday is the day to spend with family. Many elaborate ceremonies, rituals and dances take place, described in more detail below.
Easter Monday, called La Pasquetta (little Easter), is spent with friends, often by going out of town to have a picnic. And of course, some towns like Panicale hold their own rituals like rolling balls of cheese around the village walls.
Unusual traditional celebrations common to Italian towns and cities
A well-known celebration is the Scoppio del Carro in Florence. A huge cart is driven through the city until it reaches the Duomo at the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore in the town center. A mass is held in the Basilica. Then the archbishop sends a dove-shaped rocket into the cart. The cart erupts into a ball of flames, triggered by fireworks that are placed inside it.
In a small city called Sulmona, La Madonna che Scappa (our Lady in the Square) dates back to the 18th century. This occurs on Easter Sunday and reenacts the moment when Mary sees her resurrected son, Jesus Christ, for the first time.
On the island of Sardinia, celebrations last for all of the Holy Week and many traditions here are influenced by the Semana Santa, an Easter celebration hailing from Spain. Many towns in Sardinia have unique rituals not performed anywhere else in the country.
Throughout the entire island during the week of Easter, ceremonies are performed, songs are sung, dances are carried out and more. On Easter Sunday people celebrate by reenacting “the meet” between mother Mary and Jesus. There are two processions of people; one carrying the statue of Mary and the other a statue of Christ. They walk through the streets and then meet in the middle.
People who don’t participate in the celebrations are usually sitting on their balconies shooting fireworks into the air as a way to announce the resurrection.
Another exuberant celebration occurs in Umbria—Panicale–where huge rolls of cheese are rolled around the village walls with as few strokes as possible. After the cheese rolling contest, there is a band in the piazza of town and wine is broken out.
No bunnies, but lots of lamb and doves
Typical Easter foods include lamb, found at almost every restaurant this time of year in Italy. Also, marzipan created in the shape of lambs is a traditional sweet. These are amazingly realistic.
Unlike in the United States, you won’t find chocolate bunnies because in Italy they don’t have the Easter bunny or egg hunts. But many Italians love to decorate their chocolate eggs. Eggs of the non-chocolate variety play a big role in Italy at Easter because they represent life, fertility and renewal. You’ll see eggs everywhere, often in soups.
Italians will put a gift inside a chocolate egg to give to family and friends. You’ll also find dove-shaped breads specifically made for Easter, and a traditional Easter cake called Colomba, always made in the shape of a dove, and Cassata, a layered cake with a ricotta filling.
Conclusion
We recommend you spend at least one Easter of your life in Italy. Visiting extended family in Italy is very popular at Easter.
Expect large crowds especially in the tourist areas and don’t expect many restaurants and shops to be open on Easter Sunday and Monday. However, most museums and major attractions will be open.
Enjoy an Easter like nowhere else in the world and spend it in Italy this year or the next
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