Easter in Sicily is a celebration rich of ancient and suggestive traditions, where faith and culture merge into a unique atmosphere. Throughout the island, religious processions such as those on Good Friday attract thousands of visitors for their intensity and beauty. Each town and village has its own special way of celebrating, between exciting rites and scenographies that tell the Passion of Christ. At the table, Sicilian Easter is a triumph of flavors.
Don’t miss the chance to experience an authentic Easter in the heart of the Mediterranean. Plan your trip to Sicily now!
Table of contents
When do the Easter holidays start in Sicily?
Easter holidays in Sicily? Well, they start when the scent of the cassata mixes with the spring air and processions begin to populate the streets! Schools usually close in the week before Easter, but let’s face it, the heart of the festival beats faster than Holy Thursday. It’s the perfect time to immerse yourself in secular rituals and eat sweets!
Easter 2025
In 2025, Easter will be on Sunday, April 20. The school holidays in Sicily will start on Thursday, April 17 and end on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
Sicilian Easter cookies
The Easter sweets in Sicily are a riot of colors and flavors, with each province adding its unique touch to the traditions
Visiting the baroque area of Ragusa during Easter means not only immersing yourself in its majestic churches and palaces, but also savoring the authenticity of its cuisine, where every dessert tells the passion for the territory.
Sicilian Cassata
Cassata is the most beloved dessert in Sicily: a pastry box that contains inside a sweet heart of ricotta cream, and outside a precious layer of icing and decorations filled with candied sugar and pumpkin.
Now widespread in all provinces, this cake seems to have been born in Palermo during the Arab domination, in a simpler version without decorations, still existing today: the “baked cassata”.
The ancient saying “Tintu è cu nun mancia a cassata a matina ri Pasqua” (“Who does not eat cassata on Easter morning is a bad person”) It is concrete proof that this delicacy was once reserved for the Easter period.
Cassateddi of Ricotta Cream
Typical of the iblea tradition, they are small chests of shortcrust pastry stuffed with a cream of fresh ricotta, sugar and cinnamon. They are baked in the oven and often enriched with a layer of honey or powdered sugar.
Cuddure cu l’ova
These symbolic sweets are doughnuts or sweet dough, decorated with boiled eggs in the center. They represent fertility and rebirth, perfect to celebrate Easter.
Don’t forget to taste the pastieri, with their surprising sweet-salty balance, the cosi ruci with scent of orange, and the crunchy giuggiulena, Perfect for a touch of aromatic and authentic.
Sicily Easter celebrations
Sicily is an extraordinarily rich region of events and appointments during Easter, and we at Sicily my Home want to tell you some that are truly unmissable, every Sicilian dessert tells the story of the passion for the territory.
Noto - The Infiorata (Flower Festival)
The 3rd weekend of May in Noto takes place the Infiorata.
For over thirty years this event celebrates spring thanks to thousands of flowers and petals used to create decorations, figures and coats of arms.
The heart of the event is via Nicolaci which is covered with floral art works made by artists infioratori, but also by children and other groups present in the city that prepare the flowers and petals in previous weeks.
Scicli - Ride of Saint Joseph
In March, on the occasion of the feast of Saint Joseph, the Saint Joseph’s Ride takes place in Scicli. To celebrate the saint is organized a wonderful procession of horses that crosses the streets of the city. The horses are dressed in festive colours with colourful mantles made from flowers.
These spectacular and intricate panels are true works of art rich in details that depict episodes from the life of Saint Joseph and the Nativity and are made with care and dedication.
At the head of the procession are Joseph and Mary who are honored along the streets with the lighting of the “Pagghiari“, small bonfires.
Enna - Procession of the Hooded
The celebrations represent the most important event of the year and culminate in the procession on Good Friday, during which about 2,500 clad confreres parade, carrying the fercoli (the characteristic wagons, handstands and stretchers) of the dead Christ and of the Madonna Addolorata, on the notes of moving funeral marches and “lamentations”, the ancient religious songs in which the pain of mourning for the death of Christ is expressed.
Palermo - Holy Week in the elegant streets of the old town
The holy week of the island capital includes various events, such as the sacred representations of the last supper and the traditional “visit to the tombs” Holy Thursday, when all the churches of the city are open until late at night to allow the faithful to admire the altars decorated with flowers and bowls of lush buds.
On the afternoon of Good Friday, the historic centre turns into an endless crossroads of processions that follow one another without stopping along the main streets. The simulacrum of the dead Christ followed by the Sorrowful Lady, often depicted with seven swords in the chest, are accompanied by bands and figurants wearing handmade Roman armor, based on the example of puppies masters.
Modica - The madonna "vasa-vasa"
In Modica the most anticipated day of Holy Week is that of Easter, where a ritual completely original takes place. Two processions depart from the Church of Santa Maria in Betlem. One is preceded by the statue of “Christ Redeemed”, the other by the simulacrum of Our Lady of Sorrows. The two processions converge, around noon, in the crowded Town Hall Square, where “ù ‘ncontru” is staged, the meeting between the Mother and the Son, and “la vasata” (the kiss and hug between the two).
For this reason the rite is called “A Madonna Vasa-vasa“. The statue of the Madonna opens its arms thanks to an internal mechanism in the statue. The bearers of the simulacra reproduce the gesture of the hug. The scene is repeated three times in different squares of the city.
Caltanissetta - The procession of the Real Maestranza and the "vare" of the Neapolitan school
A whole week of processions, parades, celebrations and various religious events that follow one another without stopping. During the Easter, the town of Caltanissetta is transformed into a large open-air theatre, where they are staged majestic processions that formerly involved the guilds of arts and crafts and today symbolically invest the whole city.
Holy Week is the most anticipated event of the year, the celebrations begin on Monday and Tuesday with fascinating performances that stage the last days of life of Christ, but enter the live on Wednesday with the Procession of the Real Maestranza, a procession of over 400 people led by the Captain, elected every year among representatives of the craft categories and dressed according to the eighteenth century tradition.
Sicily Easter Monday
Easter Monday in Sicily, Pasquetta in Italian, is a special occasion to fully experience the conviviality and beauty of nature. Traditionally, it is the day dedicated to outings with family or friends, often to beaches, countryside, or mountain areas such as Etna, the Nebrodi, or regional parks.
The excursions are accompanied by hearty outdoor meals: grilled meat, local cheeses, homemade bread and, immancabilmente, Easter desserts such as cassata or cannoli. Sicilian wine and laughter complete the festive atmosphere.
In some areas, the Easter Week is enriched by folk events, festivals or visits to cultural sites, for a perfect mix of tradition and relaxation. It’s the ideal day to celebrate spring and the joy of being together!
Ready for Easter holidays in Sicily?
In short, Easter and Easter in Sicily are a unique opportunity to live ancient traditions, taste authentic flavors and immerse yourself in the beauty of an extraordinary island. From the charm of religious celebrations to the convivial joy of field trips, every moment is full of emotions and meanings.
An important tip? Book your accommodation well in advance! Spring is one of the most popular seasons to visit Sicily and, during the Easter holidays, the most suggestive destinations such as Ragusa, Syracuse and Taormina register a high attendance. Whether you choose an apartment, a villa or any holiday home, getting organized in time will guarantee you a serene stay and perfect to fully enjoy the Sicilian Easter magic.
