Origin and History of Passover in Italy
Passover holds a prominent position in the Jewish calendar. Passover is deeply rooted in the Jewish history and happens to be an essential part of the identity of Jews. The Passover festival commemorates the release of the Jews from the enslavement of Egypt which dates back to more than 3000 years ago. It is a seven or eight day celebration that falls on the 15th day of the Nisan month of the Jewish calendar. The history of Jews in Italy dates back to the 2nd century when they landed in Italy. Today, the beautiful city of Venice in Italy is believed to be the hub of Jews in Italy. Thus, Passover is as wide as it is deep since Jewish communities spread across the world have added their own individual flavors to the already existing traditions, while some have stuck to the ancient customs. Discover some Italian influenced traditions and customs followed by the Italian Jews for celebrating Passover in the following lines.
Local name: Pesach
Ways to celeberate Pesach in Italy
Passover celebrations are quite similar in Italy compared to other countries. Jews have been existed in Italy since the 2nd century. Over the centuries, they were often isolated from other Jewish communities of the world and hence, they have developed their own style and traditions of cooking. However, some basic traditions like the Seder meal remains the same as opposed to the worldwide Passover celebration. On the day of Seder, the traditional Seder plate is brought to the Seder table with great joy and merriment, accompanied by singing traditional joy songs. Before it is placed on the table, the holy plate is placed on a child’s head and then rotated for everyone to capture a glimpse. After that, the Seder meal is taken by everyone which contains some Italian styled Jewish delicacies like Haroset all’italiana, carciofi alla romana and bresaola, carpione, tortino di azzine, matzoh lasagna, and insalata alla Sefardita. The universal Passover tradition of breaking the middle of the three cakes of matza (unleavened bread) is followed here in Italy with the same passion and devotion.
