Easter in Italia: Pasqua e Pasquetta

Traditional Italian Traditions

In Italy, Easter is a highly celebrated holiday, and it goes by the name of Pasqua. In Latin and Greek, Easter is called Pascha. Unique to the cultural celebrations in Italy is that Italians also celebrate the Monday after Easter, which is called Pasquetta, or “little Easter”, which is a holiday that is usually not observed in America, except among certain religious groups. Pasqua and Pasquetta are both public national holidays in Italy. 

There are many traditions that correspond with Easter that are unique to Italian traditions as opposed to American traditions. Easter Egg hunts and the popularity of the Easter bunny are not a part of the Italian traditional Easter celebrations, like they are in America. There are many religious celebrations in Italy such as processions around The Vatican, large masses in all churches, and a public blessing by the Pope occurs every year near The Colosseum. I noticed when I was visiting churches before Easter that the holy crosses were covered in cloth, and after Easter they were revealed: this is a symbol of the rebirth or resurrection of Jesus, which is what Easter celebrates. 

My Italian Celebration

To celebrate Pasqua this year I visited my family in Molfetta, Italy, which is a tiny town on the ocean located in the South of Italy in the region called Puglia. I spent the Easter weekend with my cousin Livia and her friends and family. For Easter we celebrated by having a meal of two types of bruschetta (toast with toppings), one with tomato and one with salmon, as well as orecchiette pasta with a tomato-cuttlefish sauce, which Livia’s mom cooked and prepared for us. For dessert, we opened and ate some of our chocolate eggs (but they are so big – I still have over half of it to eat!) as well as some of the traditional cake invented in Bari that I told you all about last week, called scarcella, with the almond paste and jam. 

Family Easter Lunch!

                      

My favorite thing about celebrating Easter in Italy is the Italian Easter eggs, which are large hollow chocolate eggs that, when cracked open, reveal a surprise present inside (this could be comparable to an Easter egg hunt, but instead of hunting for lots of little eggs with gifts inside, you’re given one big chocolate egg with a gift inside!). My Nonna (my grandma) used to send me chocolate eggs to celebrate Easter when I was young, but this year is the first in many years that I’ve celebrated Easter with a chocolate egg. The surprise inside my chocolate egg this year was little chocolate candies and a heart-shaped keychain!

Our chocolate eggs and Scarcella!

To celebrate Pasquetta, I went with my cousin Livia and her friends to her friend Claudia’s countryside home and we celebrated by having a big meal with tomato-arugula bruschetta, tomato-olive focaccia (a thick bread), salmon and grilled meat, salad, and lots of music, dancing, and laughs. 

Hanging out in the Countryside!

Italian Opinions about Easter

I had the chance to ask my cousin and some of my new friends who I’ve met here in Italy what their favorite parts about Pasqua e Pasquetta are. Here are their responses to my question, “What are your favorite parts about celebrating Pasqua e Pasquetta in Italy?”: 

Livia, my cousin, responded: “I love that people can dedicate some hours or all day with their family, stay together and enjoy the time. I also love the day after Pasqua, “Pasquetta”, because we go to the countryside to celebrate”.

My local friend Claudio, who I met through my study abroad program, told me “Easter in Italy is amazing – Food and food and food, until the explosion”. 

Giovanni, a friend of Livia’s who I met on Pasquetta this year during our celebration in the countryside, responded to me “Italy is quite Catholic; as far as celebrations, we have the Easter chocolate eggs, and we have cakes, for example the taralli, with sugar, we also eat lamb, it’s a symbol of Christ. I’m not too religious, but this is what I remember. Another thing I can tell you, is that one week before Easter we have Domenica delle Palme (Palm Sunday), we traditionally give each other three olives in a symbol of peace. During Pasquetta we usually go out, like we did in the countryside, because it’s a holiday on the calendar, and we see Pasquetta as the beginning of a new season, when small towns especially traditionally start working more”. 

Do you celebrate Easter? What do you all love the most about celebrating Easter?