The vigorous celebrations of Pasqua and Pasquetta in Italy — Easter and the Monday after Easter — are as much a part of the season of renewal as any of nature’s predictable proclamations.
It’s a time of awakening. Vibrant green spills over the Italian countryside almost overnight as if a heavenly saint spilled a bucketful of paint from above. New growth wriggles from bare grapevines announcing promise of bountiful new wine in the fall, while silvery olive trees shake awake under the mindful pruning of their careful masters. It’s life…new life in a new season!
Pasqua celebrations in Italy vary from the serious religious observations of La Settimana Santa (The Holy Week) to the fun and merry making of colorful festivals and carnivals.
In much of predominately Catholic Italy, the Thursday before Easter is commemorated with a 3:00 pm mass observing the Last Supper of Christ. Other traditions play out as Holy Week is observed, finalizing with the culmination of Easter Sunday.
Dear to many is the late afternoon Good Friday mass given by the Pope. Directly afterward, a procession known as Via Crucis originates at the Palatine Hill and concludes at the Colosseum. The serpentine trail of pilgrims bearing torchlight mystically highlights the sober day of Christ’s crucifixion.
Other Easter traditions vary from region to region, although many include processions and parades followed by feasts. Looking for something far removed from more stoic observations? Grab a spot afront Santa Maria Della Fiore, Florence’s Duomo, to witness Scoppio del Carro — the fiery explosion of a processional cart filled with fireworks. If that’s a bit too heated, head over to Panicale in Umbria to cheer on the participants of the Ruzzolone game as they roll cheese wheels around the city walls. At least no one goes hungry!
Pasquetta, the Monday after Easter, is perhaps Italy’s most beloved secular event. As the saying goes, “Natale con i tuoi, a Pasqua con chi vuoi”… At Christmas with your relatives, Easter (or Pasquetta) is with whomever you want. Picnics in the park with friends commence over Easter lunch leftovers while it’s almost a requirement to convene outdoors with revelry and fun to welcome spring.
Traditional and sober, secular and light-hearted, the Italian culture’s ability to celebrate any season with passion, gusto, and togetherness is an integral fiber that weaves the country into a tightly knit community.
Togetherness. This is how life is in Italy. From morning caffé at the bar, to elbow-knocking-elbow lunch in a trattoria, to aperitivo and the passeggiata — Italy knows how to do togetherness in many beautiful ways. However…
A country now reeling under the unspeakable tribulations of a microscopic beast, COVID-19, Italy has been brought to an unprecedented halt. “Restare a casa” is mandated. Schools, businesses, museums, theatres — anything that brings souls together is banned for a period unknown. Streets that were teeming with life and tourists and buzzing vespas are silent, deserted.
How, then, does any normalcy exist as the season warms — the celebrations that have marked its arrival, its observances, for thousands of years, now declared canceled? As we’ve seen over the past weeks, the resiliency of the Italian populace has shown itself in numerous beautiful ways: balcony concerts, acts of kindness from large to small, humor amidst the sadness.
And so, the same spirit is busily at work figuring ways to carry on in this temporary nightmarish normal.
Many of us have friends and family in Italy. As we’ve watched from afar, we’ve seen beauty unfold in multiple ways through individuals, businesses, museums, and corporations.
I queried several Italian friends: how did they remain hopeful, how were they going to manage the Pasqua season. The message was the same: we find ways, we stay strong, we have hope…and this applies to reinvented Pasqua and Pasquetta celebrations.
Silvia Traficante is a mother of two, a business executive living with her husband and daughters just outside Turin, in Gassino Turinese. She offered me her observations, similar to those of many I’ve spoken with
“These are difficult times for every Italian. The upcoming Easter Monday is normally a day when large groups of friends meet, but not this year. Are you finding a way to celebrate the day but in a “new way”?
Normally on Easter Monday we organize a picnic with friends. This year, hoping that the weather will be nice, with my family we thought of organizing a barbecue on the terrace and planning games for my daughters. Even our neighbors will do the same thing on their terraces so we will have the opportunity to talk and have fun even if at a distance. We will also organize video chats with friends so that we can all toast together this year too.
What are the other things that you and your friends are doing to stay positive, to maintain a normal routine in your life, holiday or not?
We are trying to maintain some regular habits so that the daily routine is not totally upset. For example: take care of yourself, getting dressed — you don’t have to stay in your pajamas all day! — do physical activity. For those who must work from home, organize time as if they were in the office. For our children, we plan time to devote to school lessons and homework. We are using a lot of video chat platforms in order to communicate. On the web we organize game afternoons for children, distance dance and music lessons, coffee breaks or aperitifs with friends, family dinners, birthday parties — we try to recreate moments during which we can communicate and have fun.
Many gyms offer streaming lessons daily, many artists (singers and actors) organize shows on Instagram, the museums have organized tours to discover the works of art present in our country.
Many countries are suffering the same horrors of this virus. What do you think Italians might be doing differently than other cultures to make it more bearable?
What is your community doing to support one another?
I believe that Italians in these situations have a strong spirit of cohesion and altruism. We are not an individualistic people but naturally we tend to the other. I believe that at this moment our way of being is even more accentuated. We have seen many things that attest to this, such as fundraising to help hospitals and the Red Cross, or associations that assist the elderly or disadvantaged. Companies have converted production to items in short supply such as masks or have donated money and materials. Many stores offer free delivery to people 65 and older.
In our condominium, we have organized to help the elderly (e.g. taking care of going shopping for food in their place or cooking hot meals to offer). Individuals have offered apartments for doctors and nurses free of charge so they can avoid contact with their family members. Many places offer residents free wi-fi if they don’t have it. Even sports associations and cultural entertainment are supporting communities by offering free lessons online. All this, I believe, means that people do not feel alone but can count on a support network.
What advice would you give to Americans?
My advice is to not get caught up in anguish and fear; you must not be afraid to isolate yourself. It is important to try to build a daily life made of moments in which to do activities that you enjoy.
Others shared with me similar stories of hope and adapting, of beseeching to “not underrate this invisible enemy” yet find ways to cope and remain positive. As one in the tourist industry related, “We are without American tourists – we miss you. Baci and return as soon as you can.”
And we will.
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