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Easter in Naples
THE EASTER IN NAPLES
HOLLY FRIDAY:
Today is the day of the Via Crucis. A very picturesque procession is organized in Sorrento, like the one of Procida. The Neapolitan family, at the sunset time, go to honour the Sepolcri. While mothers and grandmothers were in the kitchen, fathers went with children in the district's church to honour the dead Christ. In each church is prepared a "sepolcro", and many are really beautiful and magnificent. It's this one an extra excuse to visit the wonderful churchs of the old centre of the city. Do not miss the Sepolcro of Gesù Nuovo, in the Duomo, the one of Santa Chiara ad the one of Santa Patrizia, this last beautiful baroque church in Via San Gregorio Armeno where there are also the body of the saint. To recover yourself from all this exertion, we suggest you to take a nice slice of pastiera at Scaturchio in Piazza San domenico Maggiore.
For a touch of colour, do not miss the tipical food market in the old streets; the market of Pignasecca, of San Anna di palazzo, offers you the coloured show of foods: all the "new" greenness indispensable for the party, the whole kid, the voices and the recalls of the shopkeepers are a pictoresque show that you cannot miss.
HOLLY SATURDAY:
Today is the day of the "struscio", the promenade up and down the streets to show "the new dress" that traditionaly would be bought for Easter. The name "struscio", whom the translation in english would be "rubbing", derive from the rustling sound of the dresses. In the morning and in the afternoon the streets were full of families exchanging wishes. Today is a day dedicated to a bit of shopping. Don't miss this occasion and go and have fun across the luxury streets of naples: an elegant tie from Marinella at the riviera di Chiaia, a nice bag from Tramontano, a sandal for the next summer from Ferragano or Mario Valentino. Do not miss also to have a look at the beautiful shop windows of the famous Neapolitan chocolatiers that, today like in the past, are full of dads that have to buy the easter eggs with beautiful sugar decorations for their children. A name upon all, is the very famous Gay-Odin. Not far from the Hotel Chiaja it's possible to visit the old chocolate manufactory in via Vetriera, where is possible to do some shopping and to ask personalized eggs.
MONDAY IN ALBIS:
Today the Neapolitan family go out from the city. The favourite places to go are pompei, the Reggia di Caserta and the islands. In the past they used to start the trip very early and to take the "Casatiello", the hardboiled eggs and some slice of pastiera from the day before to do a picnic. Take advantage and do a trip in the surroundings of the city.
Easter in Naples is the festivity of the new things. The tradition want that in those days, that here announce the beginning of spring time, everything was revitalyze. Is for this reason that if you ask to your grandparents to remember the easter holydays, they will speak you of a time of great activity: houses would be opened to let the sunshine and the spring coming in, everyone would be occupied in the socalled Easter-cleaning, the house would needed to be cleaned from the sleepiness and the dust of the winter. Often in the houses pour families, known as "pacchiani", arrived in the big houses to help the mistress in the cleaning and they took with them all their own products that will be eaten on the Easter's lunch: salami, spumous ricotta cheese, fresh eggs and the wheat for the pastiera. Neapolitan houses in those days were full of various smells extremely connected to the festivity: fragrance of orange blossom, indispensable to give the right aroma to the pastiera, the hot fragrance of the "Casatiello", a sort of quiche for the picnic of the Monday in Albis. Now like then, many are the Neapolitan traditions connected to this festivity still alive: so we're very happy to propose you to follow us in the Easter of a real Neapolitan family:
HOLLY THURSDAY:
This is the day of the mussels' soup. In Naples, in the days before Easter, we use to eat very skimpy meals. In fact the Luciani, the residents of Borgo Santa Lucia were used to prepare this soup made of mussels, old bread soaked through the mussels' sauce and pieces of boiled octopus, all dressed with a special mixture of oil and red hot pepper. Still today this tradition is respected and the Hotel Chiaja suggests you to go and spend the evening at the Borgo Marinari eating in one of the many restaurant, the unforgettable taste of this soup. Two restaurants are above all, La Scialuppa, a very high quality restaurant prospected on the beautiful sea mirror of the Megaride island, or the very simple trattoria Da Patrizia, at the Borgo Marinari, open every year to serve the traditional soup.
This is the day of the mussels' soup. In Naples, in the days before Easter, we use to eat very skimpy meals. In fact the Luciani, the residents of Borgo Santa Lucia were used to prepare this soup made of mussels, old bread soaked through the mussels' sauce and pieces of boiled octopus, all dressed with a special mixture of oil and red hot pepper. Still today this tradition is respected and the Hotel Chiaja suggests you to go and spend the evening at the Borgo Marinari eating in one of the many restaurant, the unforgettable taste of this soup. Two restaurants are above all, La Scialuppa, a very high quality restaurant prospected on the beautiful sea mirror of the Megaride island, or the very simple trattoria Da Patrizia, at the Borgo Marinari, open every year to serve the traditional soup.
HOLLY FRIDAY:
Today is the day of the Via Crucis. A very picturesque procession is organized in Sorrento, like the one of Procida. The Neapolitan family, at the sunset time, go to honour the Sepolcri. While mothers and grandmothers were in the kitchen, fathers went with children in the district's church to honour the dead Christ. In each church is prepared a "sepolcro", and many are really beautiful and magnificent. It's this one an extra excuse to visit the wonderful churchs of the old centre of the city. Do not miss the Sepolcro of Gesù Nuovo, in the Duomo, the one of Santa Chiara ad the one of Santa Patrizia, this last beautiful baroque church in Via San Gregorio Armeno where there are also the body of the saint. To recover yourself from all this exertion, we suggest you to take a nice slice of pastiera at Scaturchio in Piazza San domenico Maggiore.
For a touch of colour, do not miss the tipical food market in the old streets; the market of Pignasecca, of San Anna di palazzo, offers you the coloured show of foods: all the "new" greenness indispensable for the party, the whole kid, the voices and the recalls of the shopkeepers are a pictoresque show that you cannot miss.
HOLLY SATURDAY:
Today is the day of the "struscio", the promenade up and down the streets to show "the new dress" that traditionaly would be bought for Easter. The name "struscio", whom the translation in english would be "rubbing", derive from the rustling sound of the dresses. In the morning and in the afternoon the streets were full of families exchanging wishes. Today is a day dedicated to a bit of shopping. Don't miss this occasion and go and have fun across the luxury streets of naples: an elegant tie from Marinella at the riviera di Chiaia, a nice bag from Tramontano, a sandal for the next summer from Ferragano or Mario Valentino. Do not miss also to have a look at the beautiful shop windows of the famous Neapolitan chocolatiers that, today like in the past, are full of dads that have to buy the easter eggs with beautiful sugar decorations for their children. A name upon all, is the very famous Gay-Odin. Not far from the Hotel Chiaja it's possible to visit the old chocolate manufactory in via Vetriera, where is possible to do some shopping and to ask personalized eggs.
EASTER:
Today we do the party with all the family. Before anything else the neapolitan family goes to the mass. Then everyone go to home to have the sumptuous Easter lunch. Ask to the reception were you can have a really traditional lunch.
For digest we suggest you, if you haven't done it yet, to go around the city with one of the panoramic double-deckers, that, following three different routes, starting all from Piazza Municipio, will take you around.
Today we do the party with all the family. Before anything else the neapolitan family goes to the mass. Then everyone go to home to have the sumptuous Easter lunch. Ask to the reception were you can have a really traditional lunch.
For digest we suggest you, if you haven't done it yet, to go around the city with one of the panoramic double-deckers, that, following three different routes, starting all from Piazza Municipio, will take you around.
MONDAY IN ALBIS:
Today the Neapolitan family go out from the city. The favourite places to go are pompei, the Reggia di Caserta and the islands. In the past they used to start the trip very early and to take the "Casatiello", the hardboiled eggs and some slice of pastiera from the day before to do a picnic. Take advantage and do a trip in the surroundings of the city.
The staff and the direction of the Chiaja Hotel de Charme wish you a quiet Easter Rich of Neapolitan tradition
