EASTER WEEK IN ITALYEASTER WEEK IN ITALY

Easter is the central religious feast in the Christian liturgical yearHoly Week in Italy is certainly much richest, most spectacular and quaint and at the same time most mystical and closest to people's hearts

Death and Resurrection of Jesus is Death and Resurrection of Jesus is expressed through precise forms of expressed through precise forms of dramatizationsdramatizations

The Easter rites start with Palm The Easter rites start with Palm Sunday, celebrated in many Sunday, celebrated in many places on the peninsula with places on the peninsula with particular processions, whose particular processions, whose festive climate is characterized festive climate is characterized by big palm branches and by big by big palm branches and by big interwoven compositions of interwoven compositions of these and olive branches. these and olive branches.

During the whole week, there are various processions, representations and symbolic rituals preluding the drama of the solemn processions on Good Friday, held everywhere on the peninsula, marked by an atmosphere of great composure and heartfelt participation by the faithful

On Easter Sunday the peels of bells On Easter Sunday the peels of bells emphasis men’s joy at salvation emphasis men’s joy at salvation achieved thanks to the sacrifice of achieved thanks to the sacrifice of Christ, who died for man and Christ, who died for man and resurrected to join the Father.resurrected to join the Father.

The symbols of EasterThe symbols of Easter

Many Easter symbols in the folk tradition have pagan origins and involve pagan symbolism. First of all, there are chocolate eggs, a symbol of life beginning, of the passage from sleep to awakening, from winter to spring

The rabbit too is part of the Easter symbolism. It is the symbol of Christ, for, being the “Son of man”, he has no lair, no place to rest. It is also a symbol of life being regenerated, since its cloak changes colors with the season

Another Easter symbol is the dove, which in the episode of the universal flood described in Genesis went back to Noah holding in its beak an olive branch, a symbol of the peace brought by Jesus

Another symbol linked to the rebirth of nature is the “ Gardens of Adonis”, frail grain shoots, left to germinate in darkness, and used to decorate the Sepulchers set up in churches on the evening of Holy Thursday