Easter is the second biggest Christian holiday in Italy, after Christmas. I am sure that the first thing that you think about upon hearing Easter is the Easter bunny, Easter chocolate eggs and going to church. In Italy, this isn’t really a lot different. The main difference is that they celebrate it bigger and better.

How Italians celebrate Easter

As it was mentioned, Easter is really important in Italy. For them, this is more than just a holiday weekend where you can enjoy eating, time with friends and Easter egg hunting.

Easter in Italy is known as Pasqua, and the Monday after Easter Sunday is known as Pasquetta. Two words that you should remember when you are considering a holiday during Easter in Italy. Going to church, enjoying family time around the dinner table and assisting children with chocolate egg hunting is something that is commonly done in Italy during Easter week.

A whole week of Easter celebrations

Most countries are celebrating the Easter weekend, from Friday to Monday. However, this isn’t true in Italy. There they celebrate Easter for a whole week. Making sure that Friday and Monday are the most important part of the holiday.

You will see churches are open and inviting everyone to participate, you will see chocolate eggs and chocolate desserts in all the sweets shops, and there will be parades and Christian music everywhere. The Monday after Easter Sunday, people are normally packing a picnic basket and are heading off to the countryside or the beach to spend as much time as possible with friends. Then, this is more than a family occasion. “The more, the merrier” is fundamental on Pasquetta Monday. You will see groups of people in parks, enjoying spending time together. Children will still be hunting chocolate Easter eggs and adults will be enjoying popular Italian treats and drinks. 

Italian Easter chocolate eggs are the best

Since we all were children, the one thing that we all remember is the chocolate eggs that you can get during Easter weekend. This is the only time that you can eat as much chocolate as you possibly can, without your parents worrying (too much) about it.

This is the same in Italy, but because they truly love Easter and chocolate, they have the most beautiful chocolate eggs that you can enjoy during this time. Some are too beautiful to eat. And, they taste absolutely delicious. There is just something about Italy and their chocolates. It tastes a lot different than in other countries. When Easter week comes, it seems like the chocolate eggs become even tastier.

Easter, chocolate, family time, and going to church. This is what every Italian thinks when it is time for Easter. Chocolate egg hunts for the children, going to church in the morning and enjoying family time on Sunday. When Monday arrives, it is all about friends. Italians know how to celebrate their public holidays, and with Easter, it is even bigger and better. There it is more than just having some time off work, enjoying a long weekend. For them, this is the second most important holiday, something that only Italians know how to truly celebrate.