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With springtime just around the corner countless families are getting ready to come together to celebrate Easter. It is a time for friends and family to come together and celebrate the coming spring season. In Italy Easter is celebrated across the country with joy and love for the coming season, seeing family and friends, and of course food.

Easter in Italy is steeped in traditions surrounding events, food, and celebrations. It is seen as a coming together of friends and family to celebrate the renewal of life and coming of the spring season. However, it is not just the fun celebrations people care about, food is a big thing in Italy and the traditions that they bring are an important part of any holiday. In Italy traditions are extremely important and hold high meaning. When it comes to holidays traditions have even more meaning and are remembered and celebrated every year. Here is a little bit about the traditions in Italy all the way from the Holy to the fun and festive food they enjoy.

If you are interested in picking up or making some traditional Easter treats for a feast of your own, head over to Vincenzo’s online or in store today.

Traditional Celebrations

Buona Pasqua! Happy Easter! Easter in Italy is filled with deep religious traditions that are brought into their everyday lives. There are different days and traditions for each to help celebrate the new spring season and the Catholic faith. Everything from mass to the parades are well thought out and celebrated across the country. Each region has their own unique traditions as well created from their own cultural background.

La Settimana Santa

The Holy week, which is celebrated from Palm Sunday until Easter Sunday. This week is filled with celebrations including mass, processions through town, and the ending of Lent. The whole week is celebrated however, the last four days are the most important as they hold the most religious meaning:

• Holiday Thursday: Celebrates the last supper of Jesus Christ and his Apostils, it is also the last day of Lent, people break this with mass and food to celebrate.

• Holiday Friday: Remembers the day of Jesus’ death, mass is held at 3 pm the supposed time Jesus died. During mass the passion of Jesus is celebrated and remembered.

• Holy Saturday: A moment of silence is held; mass is held with no music or choir. This is to remember the time in which Jesus was dead and had not risen yet.

• Easter Sunday: The rising of Christ is celebrated with feasts, friends, and family. This is the big day with big celebrations.

Through out the three days leading up to Easter parades and processions are held in towns across Italy, with participants dressing up in costumes and celebrating. Along with that mass is frequently held. This week is celebrated to remember the death and rebirth of Jesus Christ as he died for the sins of his people. This holds a lot of meaning for many Italians as the country hold the Catholic church in high regard.

Pasqua

Pasqua or Easter is celebrated across Italy with joy, parties, and feasts. Because Easter takes place at the end of Lent feasts and food are a big part of the celebration. Another big part of the Easter celebrations are parades and exhibitions. Each town or city does it a little differently depending on the regional traditions.

In Florence they have what is a called an explosion cart, called “Scoppio del Carro”. A cart or wagon is filled with fireworks and then dragged through Florence by a white ox until it reaches the historical Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, the Cathedral of Florence Italy. After mass the archbishop then shoots a rocket into the cart setting it off and creating a beautiful display of fireworks that can be seen across town.

There are other traditions in other towns as well, all with different meanings and traditions. However, the big celebration of the day is Easter lunch, which is celebrated all over Italy with a big feast with friends and family. It is filled with good food some with traditional meanings and other simply seasonal to welcome the spring season. You can often find wild asparagus, rolled egg tagliatelle, roasted lamb, new potatoes, artichokes, fennel, broccoli, and other seasonal vegetables.

Pasquetta

Pasquetta or Little Easter Monday, is the day following Easter. It is seen as a nice way to get outside and spend some extra time with your friends and family during the holiday. Most people take it as an opportunity to go to the parks and spend time on the grass enjoying picnics and other outdoor activities.

People often play games and depending on the town they may have different traditions. Some towns play games with eggs like egg hunts like we do here. Another popular game is one from Panicale, Umbria called “Ruzzolone”. In this game you roll giant wheels of cheese through an obstacle course, almost like a race. Most of the games they play are like the outdoor games we might play here during big Easter celebrations in the parks. Along with games they have another big feast or picnic with all the left-over foods from the day before as well some extras. They often feature eggs like frittatas, hard boiled, and quiches, as well as pasta, calzones, and red wine.

Traditional Foods

Easter is filled with tons of eating, from Easter lunch to the picnics the day after. Food is a central part of the celebrations, bringing in joy and happiness and carrying out traditions. Food is also a big part as Easter takes place right at the end of Lent, so everyone is happy to eat after fasting. It also celebrates the last meal that Jesus ate before his death.

There are a few traditional foods that carry some great significances and are often enjoyed during both Pasqua and Pasquetta. The dish itself either has religious meaning or the ingredients used do. Here are some of the most popular options:

• L’uovo Pasqua: Easter eggs, chocolate eggs occasionally filled with other candies, can sometimes be as big as 6-feet tall.

• La Colomba: A dove shaped cake with candied orange peel and an almond sugar glaze.

• Abbacchio a Scottadito: Lamb ribs often referred to as “burnt fingers”, it is served with fresh artichokes, from Rome and Lazio.

• Cosciotto al Forno con le Patate: Roast leg of lamb with potatoes, from Piemonte, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Vento, Campania.

• Cutturidd: A lamb and vegetable stew made with seasonal spices, traditionally cooked in a terracotta pan, from Puglia and Basilicata.

• Polpettine Pasquali: Easter meatballs made from ground lamb, parsley, shallots, and rosemary, from Trentino.

• Agnello Cacio Euova: Lamb with Cacio (semi-soft cheese) and eggs, from Molise and Abruzzo.

• Broad beans or Fava beans with pecorino cheese, often served as a snack or an appetizer on Pasquetta, from Lazio and Southern regions.

• Salane Euova Sode: Salami and boiled eggs known as “Fellata di Pasqua”, eggs represent rebirth, and the salami represents the fortune of the farmers.

• Pastiera napolentana: A short crust pastry filled with ricotta cheese, eggs, cooked wheat berries, and orange flower water, it is traditionally baked on Holy Thursday or good Friday and left to soften and then eaten on Easter Sunday.

• Casatello: Rustic cake with cheese, pancetta, salami, and whole eggs, from Lazio and Campania.

• Crescia di Pasqua or Torta al Formaggio or Pizza di Pasqua: A salt cake made of flour, eggs, pecorino, and parmigiano, eaten for breakfast or as an antipasto, from Central Italy.

• Torta Pasqualina: Salt pie made from 33 layers of Phyllo for all the years Jesus lived, from 15th century Genoa, made with artichokes, eggs, and seasoned with marjoram or other herbs, and made with traditionally Prescinsêua but now made with ricotta.

Italian feasts feature a wide variety of foods from all different regions of the country. Not only are prepared dishes popular but smaller finger foods are also often eaten as part of charcutier boards, antipasto / appetizers, and simple snacks. These can include:

• Curd meats: Such as salami, prosciutto, carpaccio, porchetta, etc.  

• Cheeses: Such as cheddar, ricotta, blue cheese, brie, etc.

• Crackers or Breads: Buns, loafs, breadsticks, crackers, etc.

• Fruits: Such as strawberries, oranges, raspberries, etc.

• Vegetables: A wide variety of seasonal vegetables can be enjoyed.

• Spreads: Such as chutneys, jams, honey, jellies, etc.  

• Chocolate: Easter eggs, chocolate bars, etc.

• Baked goods: Pastries, cakes, breads, other deserts, etc.

Italy is filled with tons of traditions and different celebrations across the country. The Easter holidays represent the coming of the spring season and the rebirth of Jesus Christ. Because of Italy’s deep roots in tradition Easter is one of the most popular holidays in the country and is widely celebrated. This spring season why not gather your friend and family together and celebrate the easter holidays with a little bit of some Italian tradition. Maybe try out a new food or go to the park and have a picnic on the Monday. Enjoy the holiday the Italian way. If you are interested in grabbing some Italian treats or making some of the traditional dishes check out Vincenzo’s online or in store today. You can grab everything from Easter eggs to lamb in our deli in store.

Come on by and grab some goodies today!