Growing up in an Italian family the religious holidays are held in high regard, and especially Easter. Easter is all about, you guessed it, family and food. Let’s face it, all holidays are about family and food and that’s not restricted to Italians, but the food that Nonna gets up at 4am to start cooking for Easter is certainly something to write home about.
Zippoli’s, Arranchini (or rice balls to us), pasta and meatballs on Easter Sunday, but heaven forgive you if a piece of red meat passes your lips on Good Friday. Nonna would kneel at the end of her bed saying hail Mary’s until Easter Sunday because of course she thinks if she does as Jesus did all is forgiven. You have to laugh of course, she lives for Easter & her family.
As kids we would all converge on Nonna & Nonno’s house for lunch on Good Friday, then come back again on Easter Sunday for lunch with all of the crazy uncles, aunties and cousins. I remember being really young and Nonno would let the grass, yes, these Italian’s had grass in the front and back garden, and he would hide Easter Eggs in it for us kids to find. Of course now it was just an evil ploy to keep chocolate covered kids out of the house and off the plastic covered lounge suite, but we loved it. As soon as we’d pull into the driveway the doors would fly open and we’d be off to find as many as we could before the other cousins arrived.
Now days with both Italian grandparents in heaven we rotate the Easter celebrations from house to house but the principal remains the same. After church on Sunday we gather as a family to eat, drink and celebrate.
Yes, there’s Church. Of course there’s church. The REAL meaning of Easter has been taught to us since we were very young, and now in our mid thirties we’re quite proud that when our kids, nieces, nephews and even our friends ask about the eggs and the chickens we can actually offer them an answer without the need for Google. For your benefit, just incase here is the Wikipedia interpretation.
The Christian custom of the Easter egg, however, can be traced as far back as the early Christians of Mesopotamia, who stained eggs red in memory of the blood of Christ, shed at his crucifixion.[9][10] The Christian Church officially adopted the custom, regarding the eggs as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. The Roman Ritual, the first edition of which was published in 1610 but which contains texts of much older date, has among the Easter Blessings of Food, along with those for lamb, bread, and new produce, the following blessing for eggs:[9][10]
Lord, let the grace of your blessing + come upon these eggs, that they be healthful food for your faithful who eat them in thanksgiving for the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.[11]
So however you and yours celebrate Easter, have a joyous one.