During Easter time, Italians celebrate the Passion of Christ. Processions, religious rites and holy representations are the common elements during the Holy Week, which marks some important episodes for Christians.
On Maundy Thursday, the day related to the Last Supper and the Washing of the Disciples’ Feet, people go to church and visit graves. Some priests offer the washing of the pilgrims' feet, a symbolic way to purify the soul. For the ones who do really believe, it's a really important moment to confess all their sins, in order to be ready for Sunday. When I was a kid, I used to be an altar girl and that day was the only one I didn't have to do anything for the priest, but actually it was him who was doing something for me. I had to group up a little bit before understanding that that gesture was definitely more than just a quick and weird pedicure in church, in front of everyone.
On Good Friday, the day of sorrow and mourning, around 3 pm, churchgoers read the entire Passion of Christ from the Book of John, focusing on the episoded of the Garden of Gethsemane, the kiss of Judas, the Calvary, the death and the Deposition from the Cross. I used to play Mary Magdalene role for several years, since I was the only altar girl and I was just a kid, so too young to play the Holy Mary. It was only when I was 16 or 17 a priest asked me to take part of the event by reading Holy Mary's line. It was definitely a very hard moment, since it's the most difficult character to play. It's a mother who can't prevent her one and only son from dying.
They believers also pray a lot in front of the empty tabernacle and/or the statue of Jesus's dead body. At night they celebrate the Stations of the Cross, the rite that commemorate Jesus's last day on Earth before being crucified. [Click HERE to read about the Stations of the Cross celebrated in Rome by the Pope].
On Saturday night people go to church to celebrate the Burial and the Resurrection, and priests benedict both water and fire, whose flame is used to turn on the candles for the Black Saturday Mess. Around midnight the church bells announce the Resurrection, ending the long period of Lent.
Usually people eat Lamb, as well as candy eggs and dove-shaped sweets (colombe in Italian) during the day, also due to the fact that the egg is the symbol of both fertility and life, and it refers to the blossoming of nature during spring.
Chocolate eggs are the presents adults give to the children, since they were good during the whole time of Lent. Even if I am not a kid anymore, my grandma keeps buying me the Kinder egg chocolate (THE best one we have in the country), and I don't care if I am about to turn 29, I still love it. A lot.
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Very interesting and informative!
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