EASTER SUNDAY Reprinted from the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum Booklet Italian Customs and Traditions for Easter

 

Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus. It is the most important Christian festival, and the one celebrated with the greatest joy. The Easter story is the heart of Christianity. On Good Friday, Jesus was executed by crucifixion. His body was taken down from the cross and laid in a cave. The tomb was guarded, and an enormous stone was put over the entrance so no one could steal the body. On the following Sunday, some women visited the grave and found that the stone had been moved and the tomb was empty. The date of Easter changes each year, and several Christian festivals fix their dates by reference to Easter. Easter was coordinated with older pre-Christian celebrations of spring. The direct relationship to Sunday as the day sacred to the sun, the ultimate symbol of life, is obvious, yet the subtle connections to the earlier celebrations of the time of planting and the Moon are of equal importance in determining the day of the Easter celebration. Although the name “Easter” is of pagan origin, the Italian “Pasqua” is not. It refers to the Pasch or Passover Feast. In Italy, the Easter blessing in the local churches is a tradition—people bring a basket filled with hard boiled eggs, a bottle of wine, salt, special Easter bread and various foods that are eaten on Sunday. Traditionally, the food served on Easter is lamb, but there are many other specialties. Varying from region to region, and sometimes from family to family within the region, there are many dishes that are common throughout Italy, with only ingredients varying. The common dishes provide a sense of continuity with Italian heritage, while those dishes particular to an area highlight the uniqueness of the regions from which they hail. The abundance of rich food confirms that all the deprivations and sacrifices of Lent are over. The limitations and penitence of the forty days that precede Easter are therefore replaced by the return to joy. Eggs are used in Easter baking to symbolize life, fertility and birth. They may be used to decorate rustic breads and cakes or to prepare some types of pizzas. Bread has always played an important role in festive occasions. Bread is the primary staple in the Italian diet. It is considered the staff of life. At Easter, the types range from simple to complex, from a simple pizza to a rich egg bread. The Easter dove consists of a soft, raised dough and can be filled with chocolate or candied fruit and may be shaped as a lamb (pagnello) or the dove (colomba). Other dishes that are often prepared for Easter throughout Italy’s regions are pies or tortas made from cheese and meats such as sausage or prosciutto. In Sicily, one torta is comprised of macaroni, pork, cheese and eggs. The Calabrian version is made with ham, sausage, hard boiled eggs, mozzarella and ricotta. In the north, they prefer a torta Pasqualina that contains spinach, ricotta, cheese and eggs. All Italian households conclude the meal with a tray of fruit and dolci (sweets), served with coffee, liqueurs or wine. The Pasqua torta, a delicately flavored, sweetened ricotta pie, is a favorite in most regions. Similar sweet pies or pizzas are found throughout mountainous regions of Italy where their highly prized goat’s milk is used to make very flavorful and smooth ricotta. Pies may vary in ingredients to include rice or whole grains, as is the case with Pastiero, a pie from Naples. On Easter Sunday morning, families celebrate by making frittata, which is similar to an omelet. Five different kinds of frittata are made - one with hot sausage, one with asparagus, one with potatoes, one with pepperoni, and one with cheese. Frittatas are usually served with Easter Bread. Easter Monday, also know as Pasquetta, is a national holiday in Italy. It is a day of complete relaxation that may be spent on excursions, short trips, and picnics in the countryside. Some areas are devoted to pilgrimages. Some pay visits to the sanctuary of the Madonna dell’Arco next to Mt. Vesuvius. There, people walk barefoot and carry flags on which they pin their offers. Once they near the entrance to the sanctuary, they cross the threshold and finally enter to deliver their devout prayers. The last tradition: All the leftovers of the Easter Sunday meal are eaten on this day.

                                                                                     

                               Buona Pasqua a Tutti