EASTER (PASQUA) IN SICILY!

Easter celebrations are prominent in Sicily this month, with virtually every city and town offering its local interpretation of the Passion and Death of Jesus.

Palermo, Catania, Taormina, Siracusa, Adrano, Bronte, Militello Val di Catania, Aidone, Butera are some of the bigger events that you can enjoy during Easter Week.

In the last newsletter, I wrote about Carnival in Sicily...the last big "party" that the Island has before Lent... which is the period of time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday when all of Christendom remembers the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Far and away, this period of time is the holiest time in Sicily, surpassing even the Christmas season in terms of religious fervor. The first noticeable contrast between the US and Sicily is that except for a few "Americanized" areas, the Easter Bunny cannot be found. As Sicily is nearly completely Roman Catholic (other religious groups have a presence ... but fundamentally, Sicily remains overwhelmingly Catholic), the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ is played and re-played in nearly every village town and city leading up to Easter.

The Easter traditions that have developed in Sicily are very different depending on the local traditions. Broadly speaking, the observance of Pasqua in Sicily focuses on two very different themes.

In Palermo, San Fratello, and Adrano, for instance, the forces of Darkness, symbolized by Lucifer and scary men dressed in horrid iron masks and other costumes, symbolize the capture of souls after the death of Jesus Christ and the attempted disruption of religious activity. These allegories cease with the start of the Easter procession which displays Jesus or the Madonna defeating Lucifer and company and causing them to fall silent and flee. Palermo's "Dance of the Devils," San Fratello's "The Devils of San Fratello" and "The Diavolta" in Adrano (which is a religious folk drama held in the town square) all celebrate the banishment of the forces of evil by the forces of goodness ... of the victory of the forces of light over the forces of darkness.

Other areas in Sicily choose to focus instead on the actual Passion and Death of Jesus. For example, in Caltanisetta, Siracusa and Catania, the focus is on the religious re-creation of the events leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Parades, processions, non-stop masses and devotions, all represent portions of Holy Week from Palm Sunday, The Last Supper and The Crucification culminating with the Resurrection celebrations on Easter Sunday morning. Churches are scrubbed, painted, renewed in anticipation of Easter. In little villages and towns, the church becomes the focal point for all activity. Over the centuries each area in Sicily has developed its own local Easter traditions; this diverse method of celebrating Easter results in a very different celebration than ours.

There is a saying in Sicily that roughly translated says "Christmas is for family...Easter is for friends". Thus beside the devotional aspects of the Easter celebration, there is food aplenty on Easter Day and Easter Monday too!

First there is the traditional Pupo con l'uovo Easter bread or cookie. This delight on Easter morning is two hard boiled eggs wrapped around dough and baked, sprinkled with colorful "jimmies" and given to everyone in the family.

Then there is lamb which is eaten to represent the chasteness of Christ. (To be honest...I prefer our own version of lamb here in the States....there is something to be said about growth hormones I guess). Sausage, baked artichoke and a million varieties of pasta dishes, sweet regional pastries and fruit round out the fare.

Sicilians eat and socialize on Easter Sunday...everyone is decked out in his or her best clothing. Friends and family are visited all day. Finally Easter Sunday spills over to Easter Monday (Pasquetta) where the food and celebration continues.

A short essay like this really can not do justice to the events of Easter in Sicily. If you are a religious person then, Sicily (or anywhere in Italy for that matter) is the place for you during this holiest of times...