Destinations: Italian Easter

Italian Easter

Holy Week: Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday

Symbols: the cross (resurrection), the lily (earth's cycles), the lamb (birth and the shepherd), eggs (renewal, life).

Holy Week is the most important week of the Christian calendar. Italians celebrate Holy Week in incredibly diverse ways. It is a culmination of religion, peasant lore, and pagan influences.

Palm Sunday is a joyous day, for it marks the day that Christ entered the city of Jerusalem. Holy Thursday evening is the beginning of Christ's passion. Good Friday (good meaning holy) marks the crucifixion. Many towns in Italy veritably shut down during the hours of 12:00 pm-3:00 pm on that day, the hours during which he hung on the cross. On Holy Saturday the vigil or watch begins, to mark the guarding of the tomb. Easter Morning is celebrated with mass and feasting, as it is the morning on which Christ rose and ascended into heaven. Easter Monday is called La Pasquetta, and is a day for continued holiday. Many people vacate the cities for the country or the beach.

Easter Feasting
Although the Easter meal varies by region, some core elements are shared through out the country, such as eating lamb and making elaborate Easter breads. Before mass Italians eat a simple morning meal. Hard-boiled eggs are common, along with pork and sliced oranges or other citrus fruit.

Easter "dinner" is held early in the day. The egg, a symbol of life and rebirth, is at the center of many Easter foods, especially breads. A meal may begin with a clear broth with fried croutons, and pancetta. Lamb is sure to be present, roasted whole or in a smaller leg cut. The Easter menu may contain, but is not limited to: garlic roasted potatoes, tossed salad with romaine lettuce and roasted peppers, olives, artichoke hearts, pimientos, and sliced tomatoes with parsley and garlic. While some foods may vary, the presence of wine on the table is universal.

A huge part of Easter feasting is the breads. There are so many feast breads, or pani festivi, that one almost needs a dictionary to work through them all. Even more daunting is tasting them all "Pizza" bread is a round, yeast dough, 1-1/2 inches thick. Eggbread, a traditional favorite, is braided, brushed with egg and baked. Calabria is baked with whole, hardboiled eggs inside. Crescia al formaggio is a classic Easter cheese bread. The rich, brioche-like dough is baked in a flower pot for shape. Romans eat egg-rich pizza citavecchia. This sweet bread is made with ricotta, port or rum, and aniseed, and is recognized by its slanted dome top. Colombia pasquale, out of Milan and Pavia, looks like a dove, but is made of two pieces of dough twisted together. It is covered with crystallized sugar and almonds. Gubana was eaten in Friuli as early as 6th century AD. The sweet, dessert-like bread is filled with rich nuts, fruit, spices, and liquers.

Easter fruits provide natural sweetness and cleanse the palate. Grapes, oranges, tangerines, pears and figs are some of the preferred choices.

Torta in Italian means pie, but tortas for Easter can be filled with cheese and meat. Sicilians eat a torta with macaroni, pork, cheese and eggs. In Calabria the favorite calls for ham, sausage, hard-boiled eggs, mozzarella and ricotta. The Ligurians call their tortas, Pasqualina. These rich, harmonious creations are filled with spinach, ricotta, cheese, and eggs.

For something sweeter, Italians eat what is known as Pasqua Torta. This dessert pie has ricotta cheese or goat's milk, lemon rind and cinnamon. There is a biscotti-like cake, also eaten on Easter, made with aniseed, orange and lemon rind. These cakes are made primarily for children. Girls get cakes made in the shape of a woman, and boys, interestingly enough, receive them in the shape of a bird. Each one has an egg tucked inside. The unveiling of these cakes is always an exciting event, because the lavish decorations vary, and are awaited with much anticipation.

Obscure History
Before the church assigned Easter to Sundays, it had a little help from the cosmos. In 325 AD the council of Nice issued an edict that Easter was to fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. The Pagan tradition observed the vernal equinox with a time of reflection and fasting to be followed by celebration. The edict of Nice stated that if the full moon fell on a Sunday then Easter should be the Sunday after. Sunday, named after the sun, was considered to have a direct correlation to the celebration of spring.

The origin of the Easter basket came before that of the candy store. Before there were churches, before there was mass, there was a local temple in which one worshipped the gods. After a harvest, or in the beginning of spring, the crops were brought to the temple in a basket to be blessed. The original Easter basket was a token of thanks for new life in the spring. Overtime it began to take on the appearance of a rabbit's nest. Nests with eggs were a symbol of spring and life, birth and good fortune. This good fortune eventually took on the form of a benevolent hare with a liking for children, and too much chocolate on his hands.

Early Christians celebrated the days before Easter by telling jokes, playing pranks, and eating lamb. A common custom was to take home holy water from the church, where it was scented with perfumes and oils. The water was then used to bless children, pets, animals, plants and even the woman of the house. Husbands thoughtfully woke their wives on Easter morn with a squirt of perfumed holy water, accompanied by the blessing, "may you never wither." Wives, anxious to return the favor, often reciprocated with a bucket full.

Italian Particulars
You won't find any hardboiled eggs or chocolate bunnies on an Italian Easter table. You will, however, find uova di pasqua or commercially made chocolate eggs. These eggs all share the feature of having a surprise tucked inside. Eggs for children have little trinkets and toys. Grown up versions hide presents like small silver picture frames or gold dipped costume jewelry. Some of the higher-end egg makers will custom-make an egg. Surprises have been known to include watches, car keys and even engagement rings.

The day after Easter, or Pasquetta, Italians generally take to the road. All of the cities empty and the parks, woods, and meadows overflow with people. Blankets are spread out and baskets of food abound. It is a day to rest, be with your family, and enjoy all the work that went into Easter. It's also a great time to eat leftovers.