Easter in Italy

The story of EasterEaster is an important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead three days after his crucifixion.

The Christian Easter is in close relationship with the Jewish called Pesach and essentially celebrates the liberation of Jews from Egypt through Moses.

Easter is a moveable feast, meaning it is not fixed in relation to the civil calendar. Easter falls at some point between late March and late April each year following the cycle of the Moon.

Religious ritualsIn Italy there are a lot of Easter traditions:

-Processions - Folk Festivals - Sacred

Whole countries descend on the square during the “settimana santa”, to celebrate and commemorate the sacred drama of the Death and Resurrection of Christ.

Night of Friday

On the night of Friday the streets are illuminated by torches and are crossed by crowded procession sometimes are penitents walk barefoot or in chains to make it more difficult and tiring journeys of redemption.

Easter day

On Easter day we usually have for breakfast blessed eggs; then we go to the church for attend at the mass; after that we have a big lunch with relatives and we usually have lamb.

Easter Monday

On Easter Monday some cities hold dances, free concerts, or unusual games often involving eggs. Easter Monday is a time to spend together with friends and have fun. In Italy there’s an expression frequently

heard:“Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi” (”Christmas with your family, Easter with who you prefer”).

Cultural elementsCultural elements, such as the Easter Bunny and Easter egg, have become part of the holiday’s modern celebrations, and those aspects are often celebrated by many Christians and no-Christians alike.

Colomba Pasquale is an Easter counterpart. The dough for the colomba is made in a similar manner, with flour, eggs, sugar,yeast and butter, but usually only contains candied peel and no raisins.

Easter eggs are specially decorated eggs given to celebrate the Easter holiday or springtime. The egg, a symbol of life that is renewed hope and fertility.

Italian Easter traditions• During Easter time in our Italian classrooms

students discover the Italian Easter traditions such as: recipes for the Easter Sunday, traditional ceremonies and events.

• In Florence they will know everything about the famous “ Scoppio del carro“, (The burst of the Cart), celebrated on Easter Sunday morning.

Easter in Tuscany In Siena Easter is the right time to enjoy the

wonderful or to go to some villages near Siena, where people celebrates this festivity with religious costumed processions, as in Chianciano Terme or in Cetona. traditional Easter breakfast (Tradizionale Colazione Pasquale), from 8:00 am.On Easter Sunday, April 12th, 2009 the Chianciano Terme town - next to Siena. More than 30 shops will offer the "ciaccia", a typical easter bread filled with pecorino cheese, "capocollo" (a cold cut) and the classical hard boiled egg.

Easter in Rome• In Rome, Easter is a big event: thousands of

pilgrims go there to hear the Pope’s message.

• Pope Benedict XVI delivers his blessing during the Easter Urbi et Orbi to the City and to the World

blessing in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican City.

Curiosity• 1. Did you know that the real staircase that Jesus walked up

for His trial can be found in Rome?  It is called La Scala Santa and it was transported from Jerusalem to Rome by Saint Helena (Sant' Elena) in the year 326 AD.  The staircase belonged to the house where Pontius Pilate lived.The tradition is to go up the staircase on your knees, whilst praying. 

An Italian Easter recipe

• Abbacchio Brodettato, Lamb in an egg and lemon sauce.

• This is a Roman dish; the egg-and-lemon combination in the sauce is quite similar to what one finds in either Jewish Italian dishes or Greek dishes, so it could be quite old.

• In gastronomic jargon the verb brodettare means to thicken a dish with egg yolk and lemon juice. It is especially the fate of the kid to star in this most classic of Easter dishes. Indeed, until quite recently it wasn't Easter in Rome unless there was capretto brodettato on the table.

Easter Pizza• In some central areas of Italy, they

eat an Easter pizza (una pizza di Pasqua.)  This can be sweet or savoury.  It is deep and round.

2010 Easter Date

• Sunday 4th April 2010• The 2010 Easter Date applies not only to the

western calendar (Catholic and Protestant Churches), but also to the Eastern Orthodox church. This is an unusual event since the two branches of Christianity have different methods for calculating the correct date for Easter. There are only a few years each century when the Easter dates match like this so Easter 2010 is likely to be seen as extra special.