Easter

Solemn processions are held in many towns on the Friday or Saturday before Easter and sometimes also on Easter Sunday. Olive branches and palm fronds are waved and used to decorate the churches. Among the sweet treats eaten during the Easter period, the most traditional is scarcedda from Basilicata. This has a pastry base filled with ricotta cheese, and hidden inside is a peeled hard-boiled egg. Whoever finds the egg (or a piece of it) in their slice will have a lucky year.