Page 4 - Italian American Herald - February 2020

4 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD FROM THE COVER
symbolize the dust from which God made us. As the priest applies the ashes to a person’s forehead, he speaks the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. The ashes are made of palm fronds.
Lent is a period of small sacrifices as well. In Italy, they are referred to as fioretto, which means little flower. One may renounce a favorite food, such as chocolate or candy, while others may give up watching TV. While most Italians are Catholic, and many Catholic holy days are also national holidays, self-denial during Lent is fast becoming a less strict requirement and more a matter
of personal principle.
At the end of the Lenten and Easter season, visitors to Italy can experience firsthand the beauty and joy of the season. Rome, of course, is a top destination at this time of year for both foreigners and Italian citizens. It’s a time when the city’s 1,000-plus churches really shine, and regional food traditions are showcased in restaurants
and bakeries.
Holy Week or Easter Week, which starts seven days before Easter Sunday, marks the most solemn period of the Christian and Catholic year. During Holy Week, the faithful focus their minds on the ultimate sacrifice
of Christ, commemorated on Good Friday. The Catholic faith has a special name
for the three principal days that make up Easter Week, which begins with the liturgy on the evening of Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday. Special services continue on Good Friday and end with evening prayer on Easter Sunday. This is known as
the Easter Triduum, Holy Triduum or the Paschal Triduum, and simply means “three days” in Latin. Easter Saturday, although celebrated by the faithful, is not included in the Triduum. Holy Week refers to the entire week preceding Easter Sunday, and many worshippers enter a period of prayer with Masses at the start of the week.
Good Friday, while technically one of the holiest days of the year, is surprisingly not a public holiday in Italy. This takes place after Easter Sunday, when they can commemorate Christ’s resurrection. Good Friday is a very special time to be in Italy with a range of extraordinary ceremonies and services throughout the country. Some visitors travel to Sicily to witness the most dramatic representations of Good Friday
Beautifully created Easter sweets abound in the sweet shops throughout Italy.
One of the best-known celebrations
in Rome on Good Friday is the Via Crucis, when the Pope leads a torch-lit procession from the Colosseum to the Palatine Hill.
At 10 a.m. on Easter Sunday, the Pope celebrates Mass in St. Peter’s Square, where the faithful gather under his window. Tickets for this open-air event are required and need to be requested through the Vatican Prefecture website. At the end of the Mass, he imparts the “Urbi et Orbi” benediction. All over Rome, churches hold their own services to celebrate one of the most joyful days in the Christian calendar, including an Easter Sunday Mass at All Saints’ Church
in Rome for the Anglican community. Early risers can catch a Vigil and Easter Mass in English at 5.30 on Sunday morning at All Saints Anglican Church. Otherwise, there
is a main sung service at 10.30 a.m., also in English. This event tends to be very popular and visitors are told to get there early.
As in many parts of the world, the tradition of Easter eggs has arrived in Italy.
In the weeks prior to Easter, supermarkets, stores and specialty confectioners shelves’ overflow with large, ornate chocolate
eggs. Sugar lambs, made from pure sugar, chocolate hens and other creatures are among the other seasonal treats available.
On St. Joseph’s Day, March 19, soft fried batter treats, bigne di San Giuseppe, are also very popular. Traditional Easter Sunday lunch in Rome is usually abbacchio, oversized roast lamb, which is actually one of the most popular dishes in Rome all year round. Visitors planning to eat at a traditional trattoria in Rome on Easter Sunday are advised to book ahead.
There is much to celebrate and give thanks for during these holy and festive traditions. Italians in the U.S. and other countries where they settled have continued many of these customs. They are keeping alive their faith as well as the cultural practices of their ancestors through the centuries.
We wish all of our readers a blessed
Buona Pascua. IAH
It is a great honor to carry the statue of Our Lady through the streets of Palermo during the Passione di Gesù.
that date back to the Spanish occupation
of Sicily. Highlights include the solemn black-clothed Good Friday procession in Palermo, when young men from the town bear the statues of Our Lady and the Dead Christ. The faithful wear hoods and the women wear black cloaks as a sign
of mourning. Similar processions can be witnessed in numerous towns and cities across the country. In Partanna Mondello, on the outskirts of Palermo, a passion play over several days recreates key elements of the Christian story including the Last Supper and Trial on Holy Thursday and the procession of the
Dead Christ on Good Friday. The Crucifixion and the Burial are also re-created. In other Sicilian towns, and parts of Sardinia, physical crucifixions are represented with young men tied to wooden crosses in Avola, Corleone, Licodia, Eubea, Biancavilla, Leonforte and Mussomeli. Many of the statues used in the processions are carried on La Vara (Sicilian for a cart with wheels or long wooden beams used to hold the holy figures).
One of the best-known celebrations in Rome on Good Friday is the Via Crucis. The Pope leads a torch-lit procession from the Colosseum to the Palatine Hill, stopping at the 14 Stations of the Cross along the way
to say a prayer while a cross flames against the sky. At the end of the Via Crucis, he says a few words to the faithful and gives his blessing to the crowds. This is definitely one of the most dramatic elements of Holy Week. If you are in Rome and plan to join this sacred ceremony, make sure to arrive a few hours early as security checks are rigorous around the procession route. Millions in Italy and around the world who cannot be there are able to view this spectacular and solemn event which is broadcast live.