Calabria in spring offers an enchanting spectacle. Bright colors and intense scents enrich the majestic landscapes of this land.

But spring is also a time of celebrations and traditions linked to Easter celebrations.

Easter is prepared in the streets, in homes and churches, with ancient rites that mix the sacred and the profane and that are renewed every year with great enthusiasm and participation.

You can travel the region from north to south in those days and discover processions, theatrical performances and religious celebrations in every single community.

Some events are not to be missed because they reflect that mix of cultures, traditions and religions that are the foundation of Calabria.

In Bova, in the Greek area of ​​Aspromonte, the tradition of Persephoni continues.

On Palm Sunday, statues that symbolize the richness of the land are carried in procession through the town. These are puppets made from olive leaves woven on a cane structure and decorated with colored ribbons and above all the fruits of the earth, bergamots, mandarins, olives, broad beans, seasonal first fruits, flowers and mimosa. They are the result of long and meticulous work.

The roots of this tradition are found in the Greek myth of Persephone and Demeter. It is therefore a pre-Christian rite that following Byzantine and Latin influence was integrated into the Christian liturgy of Palm Sunday.
Once again, pagan and Christian elements merge into unique traditions that testify to the depth of the roots of Calabrian culture.

In other villages, such as Badolato or Laino Borgo, the passion of Christ is commemorated in a traveling theatrical performance that lasts a whole day and involves hundreds of actors.

The texts of these theatrical works are often very ancient and have been handed down for centuries within the communities.

For those who are not easily impressed, there are the bloody rites of the flagellants called “Vattienti” in Nocera Terinese on Saturday and in Verbicaro on Thursday.
An ancestral rite of self-flagellation through the streets of the town, a strong experience that nevertheless contains an ancient devotion, an integral part of the local identity and folklore.

In the Arbëreshë communities (the Italo-Albanian communities of Calabria) you can attend the Greek-Byzantine rites of Easter.

The solemn processions parade through the narrow streets of the village, accompanied by sacred songs that narrate the resistance against the Turks.

In addition to the religious celebrations, the population gathers to watch and participate in the so-called Vallje, victory and liberation dances in which the dancers wear the colorful traditional clothes.

In these communities, the tradition of the red-colored eggs typical of the oriental rite is also perpetuated.

If you want to take a break for the Easter holidays, among majestic landscapes, ancestral traditions and good food, Calabria awaits you!

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