Easter in Italy is a big deal, second only to Christmas, so there are a lot of different traditions and celebrations that have been established over the years. We love all the different Italian Easter traditions and whenever we travel at this time of year make a point to learn about the celebrations taking place. In Italy we say Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi which means ‘Christmas with your family, Easter with whoever you want’. We want to spend it with you so let’s dive in!
Holy Week Traditions
The Easter holidays aren’t just about the weekend with Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Holy Week starts the run up to the main event with Palm Sunday and running through to Holy Saturday.
Events through Holy Week
Within the Easter week there are many different celebrations that take place around Italy. On Palm Sunday masses are held where palms are given out, in memory of the palms that were thrown in front of Jesus Christ when he entered Jerusalem. In Italy, olive branches are often given out instead of palms as they are more readily available.
Through Holy Week there are other masses and in some places, special processions. These are rooted in the medieval tradition of passion plays, which depict the story of Christ’s death and resurrection. They were extremely popular at a time when most people could not read, making the Easter celebrations that much more important. Particularly in southern Italy, these processions are still found – the most well-known are held in Trapani in Sicily and Ruvo di Puglia near Bari.
On Holy Thursday (also known as Maundy Thursday) all church bells are silenced, and some churches re-enact the washing of the feet. Christ is said to have washed the feet of his apostles on this day before the Last Supper and there are special masses held to commemorate this.
Good Friday
Both Good Friday and Holy Saturday are seen as days of mourning, so there are no masses. Instead, in the evening of Good Friday it is traditional to celebrate the Via Crucis. Meaning ‘the way of the cross’, the original Via Crucis was celebrated by pilgrims in Jerusalem. They would visit the places where Jesus Christ had suffered, starting with his death sentence and ending with his body being placed in his tomb – 14 stops in total.
By the 14th century it had become much more difficult for pilgrims to travel to Jerusalem, so Franciscan monks who had been there devised the concept of recreating the Via Crucis in local parishes. This allowed far more people to be able to participate, and proved very popular.
The most well-known Via Crucis is held in Rome around the Colosseum and led by the Pope. The first such event was held in 1750, and apart from a period at the end of the 19th/early 20th century when the Vatican was in conflict with the newly-formed Italian state, has been held there ever since.
Easter Sunday and Easter Monday
The night before Easter Sunday an Easter vigil is held, but on Easter morning it is time to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The period of mourning is over and the Easter weekend takes on a more festive atmosphere.
Easter Mass takes place in the morning and then Italians tend to gather for long, large lunches. Even though it is a Sunday, this day is still a public holiday and one of the few in Italy that really does feel like everything is closed.
Easter in Italy does not end here however, with another huge holiday taking place the next day. The day of Easter Monday, known as Pasquetta (‘little Easter’), is another public holiday and Italians take it very seriously!
Easter Monday is a day for fun and celebrating life, with many Italians heading outside for picnics and days out. The weather is usually pretty good so all the leftovers from Easter Sunday lunch are packed up and everyone goes out to enjoy the spring sunshine.
Traditional Easter Food
We cannot talk about Easter traditions in Italy without talking about food!
Marking the end of Lent, Easter food is often richer, sweeter and more lavish in celebration. Lunches feature plenty of lamb, prepared in different ways depending on where you are. In Rome you will most commonly find grilled lamb chops, Neapolitans prepare it with peas and eggs and in Tuscany lamb is often served cacciatore-style to name a few styles. Lamb is not a common meat in Italy so it is savored this time of year.
There will be a wide selection of salami, cured meats and cheeses on the table, as well as hard boiled eggs and bread. In some traditional recipes these antipasti ingredients come together in one, such as the Neapolitan casatiello. This is a dense bread loaf stuffed with pieces of meat and cheese, topped with hard boiled eggs in their shell.
A similar bread is found in central Italian regions like Abruzzo and Umbria, the pizza di Pasqua – not a pizza as we think of it, more like a savory cake. You will also find the torta pasqualina in Liguria, a puff pastry pie filled with ricotta, greens, eggs and cheese.
You won’t miss out on pasta at Easter, as well as all of the above you’ll find at least one pasta or rice dish on the table as well. Yes, if you get invited to an Italian Easter dinner you should arrive hungry!
Baked pastas like lasagne are very popular as they can be made in large quantities (and taste great cold the next day) but you’ll find all sort of different pasta dishes served in Italy.
Dessert
Easter lunch would be nothing without a wide range of sweet treats to finish! Chocolate Easter eggs are very popular here with both adults and children. Across Italy you’ll find colombe, a dove shaped cake similar to Christmas panettone. Usually filled with candied fruit, today there are versions with chocolate, different nuts, plain, lemon and more.
In Naples there is a very special dessert you must try if you are in the city around Easter; the pastiera napoletana. Traditionally held to have ancient origins, it is indisputable that the pastiera has been made in Naples for centuries. The cake does not look that special at first glance, but it requires days of preparation and cooking, and the delicate orange, creamy flavor is well worth it!
In Sicily you’ll see lambs made of marzipan appear in the run up to Easter as well as acceddu cu l’ova, cookies baked with hard boiled eggs and topped with sprinkles. You’ll find a wide variety of cookies and pastries all over Italy which are only made around Easter so don’t hesitate to try them.
Celebrating Easter in Italy’s Cities
Easter is a popular time to visit Italy, with many cities having unique and special celebrations to take part in.
Rome
Rome is of course the busiest place with its connections to the Vatican. As well as the Via Crucis presided over by the Pope at the Colosseum, you can also attend the Easter mass on Easter Sunday in Saint Peter’s Square.
If you can’t get tickets for the mass, the Pope later in the day comes out on a balcony overlooking the square and delivers the Urbi et Orbi blessing. This is only done at Easter and Christmas so it’s a special thing to be a part of.
Florence
Florence is also very busy at Easter, and the city has a unique Easter tradition celebrated on Easter Sunday every year; Lo Scoppio del Carro.
A large cart filled with fireworks is pulled through the streets by white oxen to the piazza in front of the Duomo, the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Once in place, the archbishop inside the cathedral (the ceremony is timed with the Easter mass) lights a small rocket shaped like a dove which flies along a line connected to the cart, igniting the fireworks.
The tradition started centuries ago (when they used an actual dove!) and the current cart was built in 1622, so this is a very longstanding event. If there is a big explosion then Florentines believe it is a sign of good luck for the city in the coming year.
Wherever you are in Italy, you’re sure to find some special Easter traditions that you can take part in. We hope you have a wonderful time wherever you are, and if we can help arrange a special experience to enhance your visit even further, make sure to get in touch today.
