from
29/12/2008
to
14/04/2009
The Greek Orthodox Easter
couple in traditional costumes
Every year on Piana degli Albanesi, where five of the eight Albanian communities in Sicily have settled, they repeat the Greek rituals linked to the Holy week. The finely worked costumes worn for these celebrations used to be worn every day but now have become a mark of identification almost exclusively serving symbolic functions limited to certain occasions such as wedding days, Holy Week and a few other religious ceremonies.
On Palm Sunday, they enact Christ’s entry into Jerusalem with a procession led by the bishop riding a donkey and holding a crucifix and a palm leaf.
The Thursday before the Good Friday they sing the evangelical passages that narrate the passion and death of Christ. In the afternoon, a picture of Christ is carried in a procession, preceded by the crucifix in an urn full of flowers and incense and accompanied by funeral chants.
The ceremony of baptism by immersion is the most emotional moment of the Saturday before Easter and is followed by the liturgy of St. Basil and the singing of the Palm of the Resurrection.
The rituals end on Easter Sunday, in the cathedral of Piana degli Albanesi dedicated to St. Demetrio, with the preparation of the Holy Communion when all the worshippers gather together.
Gallery
procession in traditional costumes
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