La Pasquetta, the extra day for Italians at Easter

En Italy, the Monday following Easter Sunday is known as The Pasquetta, that is to say, "the little Easter." This is the only country in the world where celebrations of eastern they go on for another day. In addition, they are lived in the purest Italian style, with great joy and good food.

To be rigorous, the official name of this holiday is Lunedi dell 'Angelo, the "Monday of the angel." According to Catholic tradition, it is the day dedicated to remembering Mary of Magdala and Mary (the mother of Christ) who, after finding the empty tomb of Christ after the Resurrection, were consoled by angels.

Easter Monday

The four of them gospels canonical acts (Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Matthew and Saint John) tell the finding the empty tomb of Jesus Christ. The two Marías shake there to embalm the corpse with aromatic oils. Upon reaching the place, they discover to their surprise that the rock that covers the entrance has been moved.

At that moment a young man dressed in white (the angel) appears who communicates the miracle of Jesus' resurrection and tells them to go tell the apostles the news. This event, in theory, would have happened on Easter Day itself. However, for reasons that are unknown at some point in history, it was decided to spend the celebration the next day, Angel Monday.

The truth is that all over Italy there is talk of "Easter monday", a tradition that departs from the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. Although in many countries of Catholic tradition this day is considered a holiday, in none of them is it celebrated in the same way as Italians do.

How Pasquetta is celebrated

La Pasquetta in Italy is an informal community party, enjoyed outdoors in the company of family and friends. That day it is very common to see families in parks and city squares, gathered around a well-stocked table. There are also many who go to the mountains or to the beach to enjoy the day.

Typical dishes of the Pasquetta

It's usual pack a picnic with leftovers from your Easter Day meal and go out to the field to enjoy it outdoors.

La Pasquetta's "menu" of the day includes, among other things, boiled eggs (sometimes colored) and the typical omelette. There is also cheese, salami, pasta and, of course, a bottle of good wine.

For a foreigner, the Pasquetta is the perfect occasion to discover the great Italian delicacies of Easter. Here are some delicious examples:

• Neapolitan Pastiera, a shortcrust pie with wheat, cottage cheese and candied fruit.
• Easter cake, native to the Liguria region, to the northwest. An old recipe made with curdled milk, eggs and chard.
• Easter cake, the most famous Easter sweet in Italy. It is a large cake in the shape of a dove (dove, in Italian) made from sweet bread. According to legend, this peculiar cake was born in the city of Pavia, but today it is prepared and eaten throughout the country.

Celebrations all over Italy

In addition to all these common traditions, in certain points of the Italian geography they are preserved some old and interesting traditions around this festival, especially in the south of the country. Here are some examples:

In the province of Salerno, in the south of the country, Pasquetta is a day of great events in certain locations. For example in Nocera Inferiore The festivities of Sant'Eligio, protector of domestic animals, and Sant'Emiddio, protector against earthquakes are also celebrated. During the party they make sound the drums (The tammurriata) Y the animals are blessed.

Not far from there, in the town of Sarno, there is a pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Maria Santissima del Carmine al Castello. The tammorra during religious events and holidays.

En Caserta, near Naples, takes place the emotional representation of the angelli flight (the flight of angels). A show that combines the religious feeling with the playful one.

Also on the island of Sicilia Pasquetta is lived with great religious fervor. In the town of Mongiuffi Melia the encounter between the Virgin and the Risen Christ is famous, a ceremony in which children participate and during which the streets of the town are decorated with white flowers.

But the Pasquetta is also celebrated with intensity in northern Italy. Food is the main protagonist in Pytheglius, province of Pistoia. There the merindine, where traditional pasta prepared with chestnut flour are consumed. And in Busto Arsizio, in the Lombardy region, the day coincides with the Salad Festival.