

Much of the Easter imagery in Italy stems from religion and is similar to the symbolism used in the UK. Chocolate eggs are very popular and often have gifts inside. They have connotations of new life and re-birth that align with the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus. For dessert, there are special Easter cakes like Colomba Pasquale, a sweet bread in the shape of a dove, and Pastiera Napoletana, a tart made with ricotta cheese, eggs, berries and orange flower water.Įggs are an important Easter symbol in Italy. This rhyming Italian phrase translates roughly as ‘Christmas is spent with family, Easter is spent with whoever you want’.Īlthough Easter Sunday is traditionally spent with relatives, Italians often spend Easter Monday outdoors with friends, taking a day trip or having a picnic.Ī typical Easter Sunday lunch in Italy includes lamb. The Palio dell'uovo, a 2-day competition in Tredozio, is all about eggs! Highlights include a medieval parade, a hard-boiled egg eating contest and a race to find 200 boiled eggs in a haystack. Then, a rocket in the shape of a dove is used to light the contents of the cart!

A cart filled with fireworks is pulled into the Piazza del Duomo by decorated oxen. The ‘exploding of the cart’ is a huge firework display that takes place in Florence on Easter Sunday. The Pope leads a ceremony in St Peter’s Square in Rome and delivers an Easter blessing, Urbi et Orbi.ĭifferent cities and regions of Italy celebrate Easter in their own unique ways. On Easter Sunday, many families attend mass together at church. Traditional Christian rituals such as foot washing and marking the stations of the cross are observed across Italy during Holy Week (the week before Easter). Italians refer to Easter Monday as La Pasquetta, meaning ‘Little Easter’. Good Friday isn’t a public holiday in Italy, but the Monday after Easter is. This will help you decide what to include and avoid in your marketing materials to tailor them to an Italian audience:

If you’re aiming to expand your business into Italy or run an Easter themed marketing campaign, you need to be aware of the local Easter customs and traditions and any potential cultural differences.
