Sicilian Easter Style
Sicily
An island the size of a country. Sicily, like all regions of Italy when viewed separately, has its own rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature, cuisine, architecture and language.
“A country within a country”.
A place full of history and stories. Stories about its ancient roots, stories about its developing present. And last but not least, the unfolding story of its future.
Easter celebrations in Sicily involve various rituals and processions throughout the Holy Week.
Those who are visiting Palermo during the Holy Week have a chance to attend singular Easter celebrations and festivals in cities and villages located in the surroundings.
We suggest a visit to the town of Gangi Where devotees of the Madonna compete against those who venerate Jesus during the Holy Week. The peaceful competition consists of creating the best decorations in the streets of the town.
The town of Prizzi offers “The Dance of the Devils”, an Easter archaic festival of medieval origins. The festival represents the cosmic struggle between good and evil.
The re-enactments of the Dance of the Devils, with villagers performing the Dance of the Devils by wearing large and terrifying iron masks, reaches its climax on Easter Sunday when the forces of evil come to claim the town.
Also in Palermo many Easter rituals, ranging from re-enactments of the Last Supper to street processions dating back several centuries, span the whole of the Holy Week.
The village of Prizzi lies 50 miles south of Palermo, in quiet countryside rich with Sicily’s history and long-held religious traditions. But anyone on holiday in Sicily during Holy Week, this year 17th to 24th April, may be surprised at the display.
Celebrating the struggle between the forces of good and evil, the village’s Easter ceremonies are mostly familiar from the Christian calendar. However, whilst some are conventional, peaceful and sober, others are unrestrained expressions of delighted devilry.
In Prizzi, the figure of Death, and assembled acolytes, celebrate the crucifixion with unruly pagan delight, animated by grimly-masked and costumed figures’ that dance to music through the streets.
This extraordinary performance begins at dawn, intending to make enough noise and visual distraction to upset religious activity in the town, which the macabre masquerade haunts in stages.
The performers’ wear iron masks of blood-red; those both grin or grimace, with threateningly bared teeth. They also point long leather tongues at spectators, blast on trumpets and rattle their chains, in hope of claiming the souls of all they meet en route.
Representing Satan’s ambition to prevent Easter week’s momentous culmination, the dance concludes when the devils are finally slain by angels, silenced by their failure to prevent the return of the resurrected Christ, to join the Virgin Mary. A huge feast inevitably follows.
