The Holy Easter Week in Avola - From "Palm Sunday" to Easter Sunday's Day with "A Paci"

Taken from the book "Avola Festaiola" by Gaetano Guberna - edited by SeBastiano Burgaretta

Palm Sunday - 'A' Ruminica Re Parmi

From the early hours of the morning, with a special sound, the bells of the Mother Church they announce that he has already been in Holy Week. The boys with their palm trees adorned with simple and crucious crucums (composed of the same palm leaves) go to the matrix to make them bless them. The blessed palm It is kept at home by her father or mother to then put it in some tree of their campaign, in order to preserve this, thus, from the bad year.

The sepulchres - the sepurchri (Thursday)

On Thursday in the morning the Artari is discouraged, that is, they sober themselves while they conzenu the sepurcri in almost all the churches and attack the bells (that is, they do not play until Saturday in Mezogiorno). In a chapel he conzars 'The seurcircle, with bright candles, flowers, white wheat grass (it is prepared by pouring in a wheat plate with water and cotton not spilled, then it is replaced into a chest or wardrobe. The vegetable wheat, but free of light has the usual but white green color. In the afternoon hours, until the evening forwarded, all the people are made a duty - or by faith or for curiosity - to visit all the sepulchres, where the body must go down, of the man of God.

The holy plug - 'in Spina Santa (Friday)

Friday is the day of fasting and trapasso (those who fast do not eat in the morning but in the South and the item precise. Part of the women who pierce, since the morning they leave in the Mother Church, to enjoy the preaching King Setti Paroli, in Calata Ra Testa and the scinnuta Ra Cruci. Shortly after the end of the preaching, the shot of a mianu gives the signal that the holy thorn must exit and the people crowd the square of S.Antonio. Finally begins the parade of the procession and of the 'Mmemimeer In the following order: the black flag goes before, followed by a double row of boys with white lanterns, in color and, often figured. Therefore follows the first 'mmisteri, which is a statue representing the praying Christ in the garden of Gethsemani at the foot of an olive tree; This statue is brought by the Massari. After another double row of boys with lanterns, the second 'mmistheri comes, that is, the Christ linked to the column, which is brought by the workers of the Annunciation. Another double row of lanterns follows again and therefore the third 'mmisteri, that is, the Christ with the barrel in his hand and the red cape on the shoulders, which is brought by the students. Another double tail of lanterns follows called simulacrum and therefore the fourth 'mmistheri, depicting Jesus who heads towards the Golgotha ​​with the heavy cross on his shoulders; brought by blacksmiths. It comes after the fifth 'mmisteri, with relative two rows of lanterns, which represents the Christ put on the cross; brought by the members of the Confraternity of the Holy Spirit. Therefore follows a queue of girls and girls dressed as angels and Veroniche and poscia comes the beautiful monument or boat with the dead Christ lying in the middle of the flowers and surrounded by light. The monument is brought by the bricklayers. The sorrowful, weeping, brought by the congregation of S.Maria di Gesù follows. The procession closes the music band and a tail of people. Thus formed the procession of the Spina Santa turns some main streets of the city, all illuminated, then goes to retract in the same church of waves has moved.

Resurrection - 'the risky (sebato)

Holy Saturday is the one dedicated by our people to Resurrection of Christ. Since the morning the mother church has been crowded and around 12 am after the long function of the blessing of the fire, of the candle and the baptismal font, the major door opens wide, a beam of light is overturned on the temple, the bells sound in the flock, the band inton the real hymn; sull’altare maggiore appare la figura del Cristo risorto, portante nelle mani la palma del martirio e del trionfo e la bandiera bianca della pace e della fratellanza. In the evening the Madonna della Pace is accompanied to the church of S.Antonino di Padova.

Easter Sunday and "La Pace" - 'A Paci

Sunday is considered The most beautiful Easter day. The streets are unusually animated by men and women clothes to new. Around 10 the major square is full of people. The bells of the churches S. Pietro and S.Antonino play the motions and finally from the latter the Madonna wrapped in a large black mantle comes out. The priests and the band go to take the risen Lord, who is located in the church of S. Pietro and who comes out to appear during Vittorio Emanuele from there. And they both advance slowly, they arrive in the major square. Then the gang ceases, all eyes are addressed to the veiled Madonna; The first red banner is advanced, which bows three times at the foot of the Madonna; then the other green banner; Then you hear the ring of the bell and ... the Madonna overlooks her face, sees her risen son, throws the cloak (from under which they run away here and there quails, birds, doves and colored clippings of paper) widens the arms and runs to tighten in an affectionate embrace his son, who also advances, while playing music and bells in the sign of joy. So the Madonna backs down for a first and second time, through a device makes their respective signs of blessing and returns to kiss the wound of the cost of Christ. Entertainment of the blessing and the triple embrace that repeats itself six times in as many squares and squares.