Easter Traditions

Easter is the second largest celebrated holiday in Italy. The Italian Easter, or Pasqua, celebration is a weekend-long affair that begins with solemn masses on Good Friday and extends to the Monday after Easter, La Pasquetta which means “Little Easter”. Towns and cities throughout Italy hold unique religious parades and celebrations, from parading through the streets in ancient costumes and having large music-filled festivals to sending a dove-shaped rocket into a cart filled with fireworks (celebrated in Florence and called Scoppio del Carro, “explosion of the cart”). On Easter Sunday, Italians join with friends and family over traditional foods and desserts and then celebrate La Pasquetta, a national Italian holiday, by attending picnics, going to festivals, and enjoying the outdoors to welcome spring.

Two traditional desserts Italians enjoy during Easter celebrations are Easter eggs, le uova di Pasqua, and colomba di Pasqua, a dove-shaped sponge cake. These essential desserts are equally beautiful, delicious, and symbolic to both the Easter holiday and the arrival of springtime.

Easter Eggs

A symbol of new life, fertility, and rebirth after the long cold winter months, the tradition and importance of eggs trace back to pagan times. Ancient Romans painted eggs red to bury in the soil with crops to propitiate fertility and in the Middle Ages, when it was forbidden to eat eggs during Lent, baked eggs were decorated, blessed and exchanged as gifts.

Eggs are abundantly present in Italian breads and sweet and savory cakes during the Easter season. One of the biggest signs of Easter throughout Italy is the presence of the Easter egg, l’uovo di Pasqua, a hollow chocolate egg wrapped in bright, elaborately decorated and colorful foil with surprise gifts or toys inside. Sizes of eggs can range anywhere from a few inches to several feet, and the prizes can range from candy or small trinkets for children to customized eggs with larger, personalized gifts inside such as car keys or engagement rings.

La Bella Valentina Easter Eggs

La Bella Valentina offers three varieties of ultra-premium chocolate Easter eggs, made with high quality ingredients and hand wrapped in beautiful, vibrant Easter colored fabric to present them as the specialty gift they truly are. La Bella Valentina eggs contain surprise pieces of torrone in the center, and can be purchased in:

• Cioccolato al Latte e Caramello (Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate)
• Cioccolato Fondente (Dark Chocolate)
• Cioccolato al Latte (Milk Chocolate)

Ferrara Easter Eggs

Ferrara offers premium quality chocolate Easter eggs, made with high quality ingredients and individually wrapped pieces of torrone in the middle. Wrapped in beautifully colored film, Ferrara eggs make a wonderful Easter gift and are available in a variety of flavors:

• Dark Chocolate Torrone
• Milk Chocolate Capricci Crunch
• Milk Chocolate Hazelnut
• Dark Chocolate
• Milk Chocolate

Bellino Easter Eggs

Start a new Easter tradition in your family with Bellino Traditional Chocolate Easter Eggs. Wrapped in vibrant Easter-colored foil with surprise pieces of Torrone in the center, Bellino Easter eggs are available in both milk and dark chocolate, and available in a multitude of sizes, ranging from 3.5 ounces to 10 pounds.