Pasquetta is an Italian holiday that takes place the Monday after Easter Sunday. Pasquetta means "little Easter" and is usually focused on relaxing, having a meal with family and enjoying each other's company. Oftentimes, people will have a picnic on Pasquetta to mark the beginning of springtime and enjoy a lunch outside. However, the main traditions of Pasquetta come from the food, and spending time and playing games with loved ones!
One specific tradition I learned about was pastiera, which is a type of pie eaten around the time of Easter. This past weekend, I went to visit some family in southern Italy and had pastiera every day! My cousin Elisa, who is an excellent baker, made five for the family to share! My aunt said she looks forward to pastiera all year, and it is very special to the season of Pasqua (Easter).
Food is very central to Italian culture! We all have favorite foods, or maybe something that we only save for special occaisions. For example, maybe for Easter you had ham, or for Thanksgiving people usually eat turkey because it's tradition! For Easter in Italy, including Pasquetta, it's traditional to have pastiera, and it is so good! Pastiera is made with eggs, wheat and ricotta cheese!
