Italian Easter Expressions
Italian Procession - Riccia, Molise
Easter in Italy is a huge celebration, and like many Italian events it is a deep rooted religious one. Like all of Italy’s traditional celebrations, ‘Pasqua’ (Easter) time comes with some delicious traditional foods that are made throughout the country’s twenty beautiful regions. The most well known are, ‘La Pastiera Napoletana’, which is an Easter pie made in Naples, and ‘La Colomba di Pasqua’ which is a sweet dry cake similar to the Christmas Panettone only shaped like a dove, representing the symbol of new life. In Molise and Abbruzzo we make sweet and savoury ‘Fiadoni’. Here is a blog I wrote last Easter with the recipe: click here
Here are some typical Italian sayings that either refer to Easter or are taken from an event that happened during the Easter period but can be used all year round.
Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi!
This means, ‘Christmas with your family, easter with whoever you like!’. While Easter Sunday is usually spent with family, Pasquetta (Easter Monday) is always spent with friends and usually by having a picnic.
Lungo come una Quaresima
A long as Lent - With the lent period lasting 40 days, this saying speaks for itself! It’s used to describe someone or something that is boring or drawn out
Felice come una Pasqua
Happy as Easter. (Happy as Larry) - With Easter in Italy being a very religious celebration because of Christ rising on Easter Sunday, you can imagine the immense joyful energy in the air. New life brings a lot of happiness!
Portare la propria croce
'To carry one’s own cross’. The saying refers to the pain and suffering by Jesus Christ as he carried his own cross, so it used to express when someone is going through a hard time.
Essere come San Tommaso
One of the Apostles named Thomas said he didn’t believe Jesus had died and risen and said, ‘If I don't see the marks left by the nails in his hands, nor pass my fingers through his ribs, I will not believe’, so this saying is used when a person won’t believe something until they see it with their own eyes.
