Italy is a country with rich traditions and ancient culture. Italian people celebrate Easter and other festivals with great fervor and devotion. Number of rituals and traditions are followed in the Easter festivities in Italy . Easter celebrations are known as La Pasqua in Italian. There is saying in Italy , celebrate Christmas with family and Easter with whomever you want. Easter is such a festival you celebrate with all the people around you.
Rich culture of Italy is reflected through the way Easter is celebrated there. Many of the Easter traditions and rituals followed all over the nation have originated from pagan rituals from ancient times. One can see the differences between The Holy Week celebrations in various regions of the Italy . These customs of Easter celebration are mixture of religious beliefs, pagan influence and folk lore.
Churches are adorned with palm baskets and olive branches on Palm Sunday. These branches are distributed among the people gathered there for the ceremony after priests blessed these branches. St. Peters square is crowded on the Palm Sunday by the presence of thousands of devotees came from far and wide. They receive the palms blessed by the Pope after the mass is over. Holy Friday is known as the Giovedi Santo in Italian. On this day, ceremony of washing of feet at alter is re-enacted by many churches.
Easter celebrations in Italy involve the large number of traditions which are still enjoyed by the folks there. Out of all the traditions, tradition of explosion of the cart or the Scoppio Del Carro is the most interesting one. This tradition has been followed for about 300 years in Easter celebrations in Florence . There is many feet high structure in the shape of a wagon which was built in 1679. A fleet of white oxen drag this structure across the streets of Florence . These oxen are adorned with garlands to mark the occasion. Another tradition is to have pre-lent carnival where people march, wearing masks, dancing, singing and eating. It is called Carnevale which begins in January and runs till Ash Wednesday.
