Easter in Umbria 2010

Events and traditions in Umbria

The word for Easter in Italian (la Pasqua) comes from the Latin pascha and the Hebraic pesah. Alongsides deeply rooted religious motivations, the festival has strong links with the awakening of nature after the wintry slumber.

The two monotheistic religions par exellence the Christian and the Jewish, celebrate two different festivities which have the same name and have the tradition of eating the same food but with different aims. In Hebraic Easter (Pesah) means "to trespass", and the Jews celebrate it in memory of their exodus from Egypt. It lasts 8 days, during which time every family eats lamb. With the blood of the lamb they stain their doors, as their ancestors did when they were slaves in Egypt, to save their first born sons' lives. For the Christians, Easter is the main festivity of the Liturgy and it is the celebration of passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Christians eat lambt too, but the symbolism is different from The Jewish Cult. For Christians it symbolises the innocent crucified body of Christ "Who takes away the sin of the world".

"Omne vivum ex ovo" The egg and its Symbolical meaning.
During Easter, following an oldest tradition, people give eggs to each other. In the heathen tradition the egg is symbol of fertility. Heaven and Earth are meant to be the two halves of the same egg, and eggs are a symbol of the eternal return to life. In the Christian Iconography, the egg becomes the symbol of the rebirth not of Nature but of the Man itself in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Holy Week Celebrations

In Umbria during Easter time there are traditional liturgic rites and religious events. Holy Week Celebrations take place in almost every town in Umbria, but Assisi still remains the most well knonwn due to the associations with St Francis.

Easter in Assisi

Palm Sunday in Assisi
Palm Sundaymarks the end of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week. This is the day when the church remembers the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, cheered by crowds waving branches of olive and palm. Assisi celebrates this moment with a series of rituals in almost all parishes, churches and basilicas of the city.

Mass of Chrism at Saint Rufino
Celebrated the Wednesday before Easter at the Cathedral of St. Rufino, the solemn Mass of the Sacred Chrism precedes Easter Triduum. This day is dedicated to the blessing of holy oils, essential tools to celebrate the different sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Order, Anointing of the sick.

Holy Thursday
The Easter Triduum begins on Holy Thursday and ends on Saturday with the great Holy Saturday vigil. This is the day when the Church, recalling the Last Supper of Jesus, celebrates the institution of the Eucharist. The faithful visit the Blessed Sacrament in several churches in memory of the many wounds Christ suffered.

The "Scavigliazione" - Fourteenth-century Ceremony
In remembrance of the fourteenth century hymn, 'Scavigliazione', the celebration of the Deposition from the Crucifix takes place on the Wednesday before Easter, at Saint Rufino Cathedral.

Good Friday
Good Fridayis the day most important of the week. The church, in commemoration of its origins in the words of Christ, solemnly meditates on the Passion. It celebrates a special liturgy divided into three phases: the Liturgy of the Word celebrated by readings, the adoration of the cross and communion (using Eucharist made the previous day).
In the morning, the Crucifix is moved from the Cathredal of San Ruffino to the Basilica of San Francesco stopping at various convents and monasteries along the way.

In the evening the Crucifix is carried through torch lit streets. This follows a medieval tradition in which all Confraternities (religious groups) process along the city's historical center which is entirely lit by torches. The procession takes place at 19.30 and departs from the Cathedral of San Rufino with the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, goes to the Basilica of San Francesco then returns to the cathedral.

Holy Saturday
As the faithful await Christ's resurrection, on Holy Saturday Assisi remembers the burial of Jesus Christ and his descent into Limbo. The Easter candle will be lit and remain lit the Feast of the Ascension, The flame symbolizes the presence of Christ among men. The snuffing of the candle at the Feast of the Ascencion symbolizes Crhist's departure.

Easter Monday in Assisi
Easter Monday, in remembrance of the angel consoling the women at the tomb of Jesus, is full of religious celebrations in the morning, with evening vespers.

Bettona

Good Friday at 9.00 p.m.
The Passion of Christ

The portrayal of the 'Passion of Christ', in the form of a procession, will takes place in the center of Bettona, on Good Friday.

The story is be told through a series of scripted 'acts' : The Last Supper, In the Garden of Gethsemane, The Trial at the Court of Caifa, At the Palace of Pontius Pilate, The Meeting with Maria and Cireneo, The Crucifixion.

The procession will start in the gardens of the old convent of Santa Caterina, and finish with the scene of the Crucifixion in Piazza IV Novembre. The events will be narrated throughout by Mary Maddalena with 70 persons taking part.

The Stations of the Cross at the Basilica in Santa Maria degli Angeli
On Good Friday at 8 p.m.there will be a procession commemorating the Stations of the Cross of many of the confraternities of the town. All this will take place around the majestic basilica of St. Patriarchal Maria degli Angeli.

Holy Thursday in Bastia
On Holy Thursday, at Saint Rocco Church, traditional worship of Jesus placed in the tabernacle with typical hymns sung by the Polyphonic Choir from the city of Bastia.

Ancient rite of Rinchinata in Cannara
On Easter Sunday, 5.00 p.m. at the Church of Saint Matthew in Cannara, the ancient rite of Rinchinata is re-enacted in memory of the meeting between the Madonna and the risen Christ. Two processions start from two different churches – one with the statue of Jesus, the other, a statue of the Madonna. When the two processions meet the two statues are made bow