Easter Doves

Cuddura cu l'ova
In Sicily Pasqua (Easter) is the most important Church holiday of the year.

After magnificent mournful processions held on Good Friday, Easter Eve is marked by the beginning of feasts.

Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi! ('Christmas with your family, Easter with anyone you like!') is an Italian saying and thus Easter is abundantly celebrated.

There is no tradition of an Easter Bunny hiding chocolate eggs in Sicily. But there are eggs which are an important part of Easter cakes.

The true symbol of Easter is the dove, which adorns the bakeries from one end of Italy to the other. These doves are made of fine yeast dough with almonds and candied peel.

To learn about the Easter tradition of the Cuddura cu l'ova and to try the recipe, read this link from Sicilian Simplicity www.siciliansimplicity.blogspot.co.uk/2008/03/tradition-of-cuddura-cu-lova

The Colomba Pasquale (Easter Dove) has its origins in the Italian region of Lombardy. The dreaded King, Alboin, had conquered the city of Pavia and wanted to act a terrible revenge on its citizens for their bitter resistance. In their moment of need, the people of Pavia prayed for divine assistance and King Alboin was thrown from his rearing horse. A local girl fed the horse a dove shaped cake and the horse then returned to its docile nature. The King gave the people their freedom back and made their city his capital. Ever since, dove-shaped cakes have been baked as a symbol of peace.

Easter is one of the best times to visit Sicily. The climate is mild and the countryside is full of beautiful coloured flowers.

During Holy Week, towns revive very ancient and picturesque  traditions. Every town has its own traditional religious re-enactments and processions with religious symbols. A lot of tourists visit Sicily to see the Easter traditions.

Buon Pasqua tutti !!!!!!!!

Cuddura cu L'ova

Easter in Caltagirone


Thank you for following me at White Almond Sicily

For NEW Blog updates and all things Sicilian

You can also follow me on
Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google + and Linkedin

I am also a contributor to www.timesofsicily.com

for Travel Advice and Reccomendations 

Popular posts from this blog

The Sicilian Day of the Dead

Image
The Day of the Dead is most well known as the Mexican holiday called 'Día de Muertos'.  This holiday involves family and friends gathering to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died and to help support their spiritual journey. In 2008, the tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, the same as our fascinating Puppet Theatres that we have in Sicily who are also on this list. In recent years the festival has moved out of cemeteries and is now celebrated in the form of parties and parades including the annual Day of the Dead parade.  However have you heard about the Sicilian Day of the Dead? The Sicilian Day of The Dead or in Sicilian, 'U Juornu re Muorti' is celebrated on the 2nd November. The history of this festival goes way back to the 7th Century and it was traditionally a day to honour all the world's Saints. All Saints Day known as 'Ognissanti' in Italy falls on Nov
Read more

Forza d'Agro

Image
In the Godfather Part I, when Michael Corleone (Al  Pacino) and his two bodyguards are walking in the hills, they see a picturesque village in the distance, they point and remark “Corleone”. The town in the distance is in fact Forza d' Agro a short drive from Taormina. Forza d’Agro is an ancient hill-top town and is a warren of narrow streets and tiny houses leading up to a ruined Norman castle. Most of the stone paved lanes here are impassable by cars. The town was also used as a filming location for The Godfather Part II and III. In the opening scene of The Godfather Part II, following the assassination of young Vito Corleone’s father, the funeral procession was shot in the dry riverbed below Forza d’Agro, Michael’s older brother is assassinated in this scene after being found hiding in the hills. Following this his mother is also brutally murdered, and so being the only surviving male, Vito Corleone must escape Sicily and with the help of local residents he c
Read more

25 Sicilian Myths and Legends

Image
Sicily is a place full of myths and legends and there are many stories associated with the island. From the stories of nymphs and gods from Greek and Roman mythology to tragic love stories from an exotic era when the island was under Arabic, Norman and Spanish rule. Some stories have happy endings and some not so happy endings.  What is a legend? Legends are stories which are thought to be based on true events but have developed fictional elements that have deep significance to the culture from which they originate. For example historians claim that King Arthur really existed but his existence is shrouded in different legends, such as is his final resting place on Mount Etna?  What is a myth? Myths are stories derived from cultural traditions or legends most of which have a deep symbolic meaning and usually involve a lesson that will be helpful to the listener or reader. Mythical characters are often non-human in some form or related to a god or supernatural being, often set in ancient
Read more