Here in Italy, there is a saying “Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con che vuoi" i.e. that Christmas must be spent with family but Easter should be enjoyed with whomever you want. Good Friday is not a public holiday and the schools scarcely close. Easter Monday or Pasquetta only became a public holiday after the Second World War. It is traditional to spend Pasquetta outside with a picnic or “scampagnata.”
In Florence on Easter Sunday we celebrate an incredible 900-year tradition, “Lo Scoppio Del Carro” - look out for our post later this week with more information about this wonderful event, considered to be auspicious for olive and grape harvests.