Easter in Italy: traditions and folklore

“Pasqua” or Easter in Italy is a very important festival and holiday for the nation, more so than Christmas, as the church and Italians mark the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The period before Easter, starting with Carnival to mark the beginning of the fasting period of Lent, is also respected in a nation that is still very fond of its Italian traditions and practices.

Around the country, thousands of people celebrate in the piazza’s, from Ash Wednesday to the final “Settimana Santa” or Holy Week, celebrated with a quiet period of silence and contemplation.

Southern Italy is particularly famous for its religious celebrations and ceremony, with Italian Easter processions such as that at Gangi, in Madonie, which retraces the entry into Jerusalem with standards, banners and effigagies of patron saints.
The procession concludes with the arrival of Christ, generally played by an adolescent boy, reaching the town’s main square.
Trapani also celebrates the “mysteries” with a procession of boats carried down to the water to keep evil away.

In the town of Enna, the figure of Christ is carried on a tall pole, lifted by a few hundred people using straps of cloth.

In the video above, you can see the procession at Caltanissetta, where music is played and the artisans of the town dress in traditional clothes.