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An
Italian Easter - Buona Pasqua! the days of Easter
An Italian Easter -
Easter food in Italy
Who else wants to visit Italy this Easter?
Italian Easter Events
An Italian Easter: the days of Easter
Buona Pasqua!
To
say Happy Easter in Italian you say Buona Pasqua. (Literally
translated as 'Good Easter.') Preparations for Easter begin
in the days leading up to Shrove Tuesday. This is known as
Carnevale (Carnival) in Italy, and there are street parties
and processions all over Italy, the two most well known
perhaps being the Venice Carnival and Via Reggio Carnival.
Shrove Tuesday
or Martedì
Grasso as it's known in Italian, meaning 'Fat Tuesday' sees the
final day of Carnevale (called Fat Tuesday as you may end up
eating so much you might become fat!
La Quaresima or
Lent as it's known in English begins after Carnevale on Ash
Wednesday. In Italian this is called Il Mercoledì delle
Ceneri, and if you go to church on this day a priest rubs
some ash onto your forehead in the shape of a cross.
La Quaresima (Lent) ends on La
Domenica di Pasqua (Easter Sunday.)
La
Domenica delle Palme (Palm
Sunday) marks the first day of Easter's Holy Week, or La Settimana Santa in
Italian. Palm leaves and olive branches are blessed by the
priest at church.
Good Friday is known as Il Venerdi
Santo, and on this day in Italy, traditionally no meat
is eaten, as this is the day when everyone remembers the
death of Gesù (Jesus). Instead, vegetables, pasta, fish,
bread and fruit are eaten.
La Settimana Santa (Holy Week) ends on Easter Sunday -
La
Domenica di Pasqua. Easter
Monday, known as Pasquetta is similar to a 'Bank
Holiday' or National Holiday and traditionally families and
friends spend the day outside in the fresh air on day trips
or picnics....or in this day and age maybe just at home
recovering from food indulgence!
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