There is an Italian proverb which says: ‘Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi’ (Christmas with your family, Easter with whoever you wish), which illustrates the fact that Pasqua (Easter) is considered a less intimate festival than Christmas. Normally we spend Domenica di Pasqua (Easter Sunday) with the family, engaged in the traditional act of stuffing ourselves with food such as roasted lamb or kid, hard boiled eggs, which have been taken to church to be blessed at the end of the Mass, and of course chocolate eggs. The traditional Easter cake is la Colomba (the Dove), a cake similar to the Christmas cake Panettone in flavor and consistency, but baked in the form of a stylized dove. Although it is the most popular Easter cake eaten in Italy, the tradition of la Colomba isn’t that old as it was only created at the beginning of the 20th century by Motta, the manufacturer that also produces Panettone. When Motta created their Easter cake they decided to use the dove shape because it is a symbol of the peace represented by Easter.

The day following Domenica di Pasqua is Lunedi’ di Pasqua (Easter Monday), better known as Pasquetta (Little Easter) or Lunedi’ dell’Angelo (Monday of the Angel). The name Lunedi’ dell’Angelo refers to the Gospel story which tells that, the day after Easter the women who went to Jesus’ tomb to anoint his body were met by the Angel who told them that Jesus had been resurrected. This day is probably the most popular part of the whole festivity for Italians, and it’s traditional to celebrate Pasquetta with a ‘gita fuori porta’ (a trip outside the city gates), usually for a picnic with friends. One interpretation of this tradition comes once again from a Gospel story which recounts that, on the day of the resurrection Jesus appeared to two disciples who were travelling to Emmaus a few kilometers outside the city gates of Jerusalem. The  gita fuori porta tradition could be seen as a kind of ‘re-enactment’ of this story, although like many traditions most people won’t really be aware of it’s origins. A friend of mine who is originally from a town south of Naples told me that in that area the traditional gita fuori porta would be to go on a pilgrimage to a local monastery or Sanctuary. In my home town of Lucca it was traditional to go for a picnic along the river Serchio which passes Lucca on it’s journey from the Apuane Alps to the Mediterranean near Pisa.

Another popular way to spend the ‘gita fuori porta’ is a visit to a small historical town. Many of these towns will hold an event such as an antique market and will be packed with tourists. I remember many years ago going for a tour in the Chianti area near Siena with some friends from University. We were hoping to go to San Gimignano, a small walled town famous for its many medieval towers, but we couldn’t even get near it due to the long queues of tourist’s cars trying to get there. Instead we went to Monteriggioni, another beautiful walled town, and from there to visit a friend of ours whose family owns a Medici style villa on the top of a nearby hill.

Whatever we do for Pasquetta, the deciding factor is, of course, the weather: we always hope for a beautiful sunny warm day. This year’s weather forecast is not good: ‘hanno messo acqua’ (‘they have put water’) as they say in this area, or more correctly: ‘hanno previsto pioggia’ (they have predicted rain). However, while I have been typing  my husband has been outside digging on the orto (vegetable garden), and he’s just popped in to tell me that it’s a gorgeous day. E addesso e’ ora di partire per la nostra gita fuori porta!

Buona Pasqua e Pasquetta!