Settimana Santa, or Holy Week, is full of Italian Easter traditions.
At this time Italy begins seven days of events throughout the country from processions, parades and even an exploding wagon for some Florentine good luck. Once lent has ended, people feast together and enjoy Easter themed dolci (sweets). One of these sweet treats is of course a chocolate easter egg but, here it has a surprise twist. On this occasion Italians also start their day with a savoury Easter breakfast which is rare, in general Italians sip their caffe al bar (at the bar) with a sweet cornetto (croissant) but at Easter it’s all about celebrating the mighty egg.
In this article
A Chocolate Easter egg Surprise
But what about the Easter bunny?
We hear you cry. We hate to break the news but the Easter bunny doesn’t exist here. That tradition hasn’t reached Italy but what we lack in Easter Bunny activities we make up for in the shape of a giant chocolate Easter egg.
Chocolate eggs are gloriously oversized in Italy and exquisitely wrapped in shining layers of foil, which are tied together atop the egg in a fan-like shape.
Inside every egg is a sorpresa (surprise) from toys, to jewellery or more chocolate and sweets.
Although the eggs may not have been delivered by the Easter bunny, the surprise in the egg is eagerly anticipated on Easter morning by children and adults alike. Some pasticcerie (bakeries) in Italy will even build your egg for you and allow you to bring your sorpresa of choice for them to add into the egg!
What is Pasquetta?
“Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi” which translates to Christmas with your family, Easter with whoever you want! Easter Sunday is usually spent with family in Italy while Easter Monday, or “Pasquetta,” is spent with friends.
Pasquetta means little Easter and is traditionally spent outdoors with friends to soak and celebrate the arrival of spring. The picnic for Pasquetta is usually leftovers from Easter Sunday. An Italian Easter lunch centres around lamb as the main meat dish and eggs also being the star of the show. With items on the menu such as fresh pasta and frittata, these are easily transported as leftovers for the perfect Pasquetta lunch outside the next day.
Is there such a thing as Easter Panettone?
Although the Easter option is similar to the Christmas counterpart, there is no Easter Panettone. Instead, you’ll find a deliciously sweet dove shaped cake called a Colomba di Pasqua (Easter Dove).
There are a few origin stories about how this cake took shape becoming a staple across Italy at Easter. One theory is that the cake was a gift to the victorious King that took over Pavia in the 6th century as a symbol of peace. Or that it was given in 1176 during the celebrations of the Lombardians over throwing the Roman Empire. In Christianity the dove also represents the Holy Ghost and is the universal symbol for peace.
The Colomba di Pasqua is made from flour, eggs, butter and yeast. The dough is then mixed with candied orange peel and topped with sugar and almonds. Also unlike the Christmas Panettone this cake is not usually eaten for breakfast but for merenda (snack) later in the day, the perfect pairing with a coffee or the liqueur Vin Santo as a dessert during an Italian Easter Lunch.
What’s for breakfast?
An Italian Easter Breakfast is the only savoury breakfast you’ll probably have in Italy.
What’s on the menu varies between regions but usually in Maremma you’ll find an Italian Easter bread called Schiaccia di Ricotta flavoured with anise, which is handcrafted with an abundance of eggs and ricotta cheese. Elsewhere, on your breakfast table you’ll find wooden boards adorned with cured meats such as Capocollo (pork salami), cheeses and more eggs of course often made into a luxuriously creamy eggs benedict.
In other regions you’ll notice the unmissable Italian Easter bread that’s twisted around a whole cooked egg which has been artfully dyed in bright colours to decorate the spring table. These decorative eggs are also rolled down hills with young children chasing close behind as a fun Easter themed activity.
These Italian Easter traditions bring together religious conventions with spring celebrations. This spring don’t miss out on these truly unique festivities that will leave you asking Easter Bunny who? With your enormous chocolate egg in hand and sorpresa in the other, we told you the bunny wouldn’t be missed.