Easter Sunday in Italy is celebrated quite differently than most people are used to. If you are looking for a giant fluffy bunny and brightly colored eggs, you should look again, because you won’t find that during this week-long celebration that stops an entire country in its tracks. Easter in Italy celebrates and commemorates the rising of Jesus from his tomb after being crucified. Good Friday comes before Easter Sunday and its varying brunches and dinners, and the Monday following Easter is quite festive and celebrated countrywide by festivals, dances, feasts, parties, and parades. To the Italians, this is a reason to believe and have faith.
Easter Sunday in Italy
Across the country, there are many different ways to celebrate Easter Sunday in Italy. In Rome and Florence, one major Easter tradition is the chocolate egg, which is eaten at breakfast to bring about the changes and birth of new life in the springtime. In the Campania region, Easter breakfast traditionally consists of Pastiera Napoletana, which is a pastry that is filled with canditi, wheat, eggs, and cheeses such as Ricotta. This breakfast masterpiece represents the rebirth of the savior. In Rome, and many other places, it is common to have roasted baby lamb for Easter lunch, while in Assisi, the most common thing to see eaten for dinner is lamb al forno con le patate (from the oven roasted with potatoes). Most regions have their own dishes for different times of day on Easter Sunday in Italy, all of course coupled with a splash of wine to wash it all down.
Easter Monday in Italy
The Monday following Easter Sunday in Italy is the day for a huge celebration which commemorates the rising of the Son of God. This makes it a countrywide holiday so most establishments are closed for the day. This day is called Lunedi dell’angelo (Angel Monday in other words) or La Pasquetta and is a really big day for Italians. There are games, parades, contests, concerts, wine drinking events of course, and even fun things like cheese rolling contests in some small towns to brighten the celebration. There is something for everyone to do that day.
To say the least, Easter Sunday in Italy is a big day, and so is the following Monday, but all in all there is a very big celebration surrounding the resurrection and ascension of the savior in the days before and after Easter Sunday in Italy. From Good Friday to Lunedi Dell’angelo, there is always a festival, parade, feast, or reverent ceremony going on that will pique your interest if you happen to be lucky enough to visit during this important holiday.