This document describes Easter traditions in the author's hometown of Campobasso, Italy. It details the religious ceremonies and traditions associated with Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. These include blessing palm branches, washing feet, processions, baptisms and Easter mass. Secular traditions such as eating boiled eggs, salami, pizza and Easter cake are also described. The author contrasts older traditions, like their grandparents preparing large family meals, with modern traditions of giving chocolate Easter eggs.

1. MY EASTER
Mazzucco Gennaro

3. Palm Sunday Holy Week begins with Palm
Sunday, in which we recall Jesus’
entry into Jerusalem. Our parish
priest during the liturgy usually
recalls Jesus ‘ passion. During
the Palm Sunday almost all the
religious community find a place
near the church where the priest
blesses the olive branches. The
cerimony commemorates Jesus ‘
entry into Jerusalem. We usually
bring home the olive branches
and put them on the sacred
images of Jesus and Mary.

4. HOLY Thursday
On Holy Thursday morning in our
parish the Eucharist is not
celebrated because it is celebrated
only one Mass that is called Chrism
Mass in every diocese . On Holy
Thursday morning our pastor
celebrates the” foot washing” the
religious ceremony took place in
the church: the priest washes the
twelve people’s feet who represent
the twelve apostles, recalling how
Jesus in the Last Supper washed
all the apostles feet as a sign of
humility. On the evening of this
day is “bind the bells”, they do not
play again until Easter Eve.

5. HOLY FRIDAY
Good Friday is the day where we
remember the path to Calvary and the
crucifixion of Jesus. On this day you go
to church and after various religious
functions all the parish priests of the
churches of Campobasso with the
bishop meet and makes a great
procession with various symbols
representing our religious
communities and the statues of Jesus
and the Virgin of Sorrows dead
adorned with flowers. The procession
also involved a chorus of hundred
people. We walk all the main streets of
Campobasso up to return to the
church starting.

7. Holy Saturday
 During the Easter Vigil of Holy Saturday there are various liturgies: the liturgy of “the fire:” the fire is
blessed and lights the Easter candle with which you draw a cross. The liturgy of “the word “on Easter Eve is
the richest celebration. during the year..After reading each Psalm there is a prayer, the readings are chosen
among the three Synoptic Gospels and the books of the Old Testament. After it following the homely
Liturgy of Baptism. During the night between Saturday and Easter Sunday it is tradition to baptize infants :
immersing the baby in the water just blessed. The celebration usually ends with the prayer of the faithful.
EUCHARISTIC LITURGY
 At the end of the celebration the priest gives the blessing thus concluding the great function that has
begun on Holy Thursday with the Mass in COENA DOMINI.

8. EASTER SUNDAY
Easter is the greatest feast of the Catholic Church and other Christian churches which
celebrates the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth took place on the third day after his death
on the cross.
 The Christian festival of Easter is movable, fixed from year to year in the Sunday
following the first Prenilennio next to 'Spring Equinox (March 21 st)).
 Easter is preceded by a preparatory period of advent and fast, lasting forty days called
Lent. It begins on Ash Wednesday. The last week of Lent is called Holy Week, a period full
of celebrations and dedicated to silence and contemplation that begins with Palm Sunday.
In Easter Sunday we go to our main church, Santa Maria Assunta, located in the upper
part of the country and along joyfully celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. At the exit of
the Church we greet our friends in the great square to the bells’ sound.

9. EASTER SUNDAY YESTERDAY
 At our parents’ time Easter is celebrated in the
following way: On Easter day our grandmothers
got up very early to lay the table and prepare
Breakfast & Dinner.
 Our grandmothers put on the dining room table
their best table cloth hand embroidered and use
the best dinner set.
 Breakfast made by our grandmothers consisted
of boiled eggs, salami, red wine, pizza & cheese,
Easter cake in form of a dove, homelette with
mentha, bread baked in wood.They eat really so
much.Our grandmothers held so much to
prepare these things.Then about 9,30 all family
went to the Mass that was very long. At the end
of religious function our parents and
grandparents had Dinner together : cappelletti in
broth,roast lamb , wine, Easter ring shaped cakes
and so much gaiety.

10. CAPPELLETTI IN BROTH
For the dough:
 500 grams of flour
 5 eggs
 For the filling:
 400 g of roast pork, chopped boiled turkey
 or capon ground
 40 g of beef bone marrow
 2 eggs
 grated nutmeg
 lemon zest
 salt and pepper
Proceedings
After mixing the flour, eggs, cover the pot and let stand. Prepare the filling by mixing with a
wooden spoon minced meat, bone and add the eggs, salt, scented with nutmeg and
pepper, the mixture is ready. Roll out the dough. Cropped many panes of 3 cm in
diameter. In the center put a teaspoon of filling. Fold the dough. Welded edges. Fold it
with your fingers saldandone tips. Cook in broth, ideal if capon.

11. ROAST LAMB
Ingredients:
 500 gr.lamb’s cutlets-oil-salt-rosemary-garlic-
 Three eggs- breadcrumble.
PROCEDURE:
 Clean well the cutlets, put them in an ovendish, dress with salt – oil – rosemary-garlic, let it
marinade for at least 12 hours.
 Then break the eggs with a pinch of salt in a dish, beat the eggs in another dish and put
 Breadcrumble; drain the cutlet from oil deap them first in the beaten egg and then in the
bread crumble.Put the cutlets in an oven-dish with greaseproof paper. Cook them in
 Oven about 30 minutes at 180°.

12. CHEESE PIZZA
 INGREDIENTS
4 eggs- a small jar of low fat yogurt
( use the jar as measure); a small jar
of grated parmisan-a small jar of
pecorino-a small jar of Emmenthal
in small pieces- a small jar of flour
for pizza, a pinch of salt & pepper-
a packet of yeast for pizza.
 PROCEDURE:
Beat the eggs in a bowl, add oil,
greated cheese, & cheese in pieces
and flour ( the enough quantity to
have a soft mixture. Then add the
yeast( melt in milk) grease ( with
small oil) the baking tray, strew
with flour and pour the mixture.
Cook in oven at 180° for 30 -35
minutes.

13. EASTER RING SHAPE CAKE
INGREDIENTS:
Serves 2 donut:
 2 eggs,
 2 tablespoons oil;
 2 tablespoons sugar;
 2 tablespoons anisette;
 grated lemon zest;
 enough flour;
SEAL:
 albumen,
 icing sugar
PREPARATION:
 breaking eggs into a bowl
 add sugar, oil and grated lemon,
 then a little 'at a time, the flour

14. EASTER SUNDAY NOWDAYS
and…………
 Now days it is a very important feast but is tending to consumerism.
On Easter day our parents and relatives give us chocolate Easter eggs
that are a new life’s symbol .
On Easter morning we go to Mass with our parents and relatives.

15. NO RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
In Italy we have a week holiday
at Easter from Holy Thursday to
Tuersday after Easter.
On Easter Monday, it’s tradition
to have snacks and Lunches in
countryside or in parks, spend a
day with family, relatives, and or
friends in open air, spending time
in different games.

16. Another no religious tradition is that one of Easter milk-foundant-
white-chocolate egg
With nuts in all kind of eggs, with surprise; they’re particularly
pleasant for surprise and chocolate that we content with our
parents.
Mmhh…they’re delicious….!