With the majority of Italians being Roman Catholic, Holy Week is one of the most important weeks of the year in the country. Beginning with Palm Sunday—on April 10 this year—and concluding with Easter Sunday one week later, Holy Week honors the week leading up to the arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
On Palm Sunday, Italians will often observe or participate in processions that re-enact Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. Many will take palm fronds or olive branches and carry them around, or place them at the entrance to their homes. The Vatican, in particular, draws tens of thousands to its recreation.
The rest of the week often involves numerous church services and many towns and cities have their own special way of honoring Holy Week. Castelsardo in Sardinia, for example, is famous for its Brotherhood of the Holy Cross, a group that dresses in hooded white robes and processes around the town from sunup to sundown on Holy Monday, chanting medieval songs. On Thursday—known as either Holy or Maundy Thursday—church bells are silenced and not rung until Easter Sunday, and many churches recreate the Last Supper through ceremonial foot washing.
Holy Week’s most somber day—recognized as a national holiday—is Good Friday, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. Churches will cover their crosses with black cloth in a sign of mourning, and many Italians will fast. Many cities reenact the crucifixion, and the Pope himself traditionally leads a somber procession through Rome called the Via Crucis, or Way of the Cross, from the city center to the Colosseum.
Finally, Holy Week culminates in Easter Sunday, a holiday that is celebrated by both Christian and non-Christian Italians. It is a day of celebration and feasting, often featuring lamb and cookies and cakes in the shape of doves or lambs. Easter eggs are common in Italy as well, sometimes hollow chocolate with toys inside, and sometimes hardboiled and painted vibrant colors.
Along with Christmas, Easter is the most important and most celebrated holiday in Italy, so if you travel to Italy during Holy Week, be ready to watch Italians go all out in honoring this special time.
