Easter is a very important time for Italians, where tradition, food, family, and friends intertwine, bringing moments of joy and togetherness.
And as is customary in Italy, like any holiday, it is mainly a great excuse for a proper feast.
Easter Sunday is the most important day, dedicated to a family lunch, often with relatives who are rarely seen. People get up early to prepare a large Easter lunch, a task enthusiastically taken on by grandmothers! Typical dishes include lasagna or asparagus risotto, lamb or kid roast with potatoes, fried eggplant, sorbet, and traditional Easter focaccia. Also present is colomba, a yeast cake in the shape of a dove filled with candied fruit or cream, which is similar to the Christmas panettone. Everything is accompanied by sparkling and red wine, coffee, and a good bitter liqueur or grappa to digest all the grandeur.
Easter Monday, which Italians call Pasquetta (Little Easter), is instead dedicated to friends: millions of people across Italy gather for large barbecues with ribs, sausages, pancetta, and many other delicacies – it's an opportunity to have fun together before the end of the holidays and the return to everyday life.