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Italian Easter Events
Who Else Wants to Visit Italy This Easter?
For the citizens of Italy, largely a Roman Catholic people, Easter -
"Pasqua" - is a very special time of year. It is, by far,
the most sacred of all Christianholidays and,
for most Italians, truly a reason to rejoice.
Many of the individual towns in Italy have their own unique
Easter celebrations on Easter Sunday and during the days of
Holy Week, including Good Friday. Easter Monday, also known
as "la Pasquetta," is also a notable holiday throughout the
country, with schools and businesses closed and people
taking to the streets to continue the celebration that began
with the commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ
the day before.
Holy Week
In Italy, the most typical way to mark Good Friday was the
day that Jesus was crucified - is by an elaborate
procession, Passion play, or similar event. Again, the
commemoration of this solemn day on the Christian calendar
varies from town to town.
In Chieti, in the Abruzzi region of Italy, the Good Friday
procession is said to be the oldest in the country and is
certainly one of the most moving. Men and children parade
through the torch-lit streets of the town, each wearing the
colors of their home parish. They carry symbols that
characterize the Stations of the Cross and one individual
carries a large wooden cross. The entire procession is
accompanied by the haunting sounds of about 150 violins
playing Miserere by Italian composer Savario Selecchy.
In Taormina, one woman is chosen to portray Mary, the mother
of Jesus. She wanders through the dark streets in search of
her lost son, assisted by black-robed locals who attempt to
help her find Jesus.
In Calitri, men in white hoods topped by crowns of thorns
make their way through the streets carrying crosses on their
shoulders. Church choirs follow them, singing hymns, psalms,
and folksongs of the region.
In the Sicilian town of Enna, Good Friday traditions go all
the way back to the period of Spanish domination in Italy,
around the 15th to 17th centuries. About 2,000 hooded men
travel through the main streets holding Vare, religious
statues of the dead Christ and his mother, Mary. Others
carry symbols of the crucifixion, including the thirty
denarii paid to Peter to betray Christ, as well as nails and
a crown of thorns.
Easter Sunday and Monday
Marking a joyous day after a very solemn week, Easter
celebrations in Italy are spectacular and generally last two
days, as Easter Monday is a designated national holiday for
Italians.
The most notable Easter celebration is in Florence and is
called Scoppio del Carro, the explosion of the cart. This
tradition includes an ornate cart, dragged through the
streets of the city by several white oxen. Following mass at
the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, a dove-shaped rocket
is aimed at the cart, igniting the fireworks within, which
then explode accompanied by much fanfare and shouts of joy.
A gala parade follows.
In Palermo, women dress in the elegant costumes of the 15th
century Byzantine era and make their way through the streets
of the town, handing out red Easter eggs to
outstretched hands. In Chieti, a pageant is staged that
represents the reuniting of mother and son, Mary and Jesus.
Easter Monday is a day of much merriment, characterized by
events such as the wacky "cheese roll" in the Umbrian town
of Panicale. Quite simply, participants roll their large
wheel of cheese around a course set up on the streets of
this quaint village. Whoever is able to get their cheese
through the course with the fewest number of strokes wins
the game. There is also free music, free wine, and lots of
free hard-boiled eggs!
Dominic Siano is president of Tour Italy Now (http://www.touritalynow.com), the
largest online travel tour operator. A lover of all things
Italian, Dominic has worked extensively in the Italian
tourism industry. To learn more about Dominic visit his blog
at http://www.domsiano.com.
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