Easter in Venice

What a joy Easter in Venice, and indeed Italy, is. Much like Christmas time, Easter here isn't all about commercialization. Even if you aren't Catholic (I am but hubby isn't), attending a Mass on Easter Sunday in Venice is a moving experience. I can think of nowhere I'd rather spend Easter than Venice!

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Where to Stay in Venice during Easter

It would depend on whether you prefer five-star luxury (these are my picks) or something offering great value, in which case try these hotels.

Venice can get rather busy over Easter, although nothing like Venice during Carnival time; even so, it is worth booking well in advance if you possibly can.

Is Everything Closed over Easter?

Good Friday is a normal working day in Italy so everything is open and Saturday is business as usual too with everything from shops to museums open.

Good Friday is the day to do the touring around of Venice, before the Easter weekend crowds arrive from all over Italy.

On Sunday and Monday, nearly all the shops and the markets are closed, but many museums stay open, and of course, Sunday is a great day to attend an Easter Mass, either in St. Marks or elsewhere in the city.

Venice has some of the most beautiful churches and cathedrals in Italy. Despite that, I sometimes prefer to find a small church in a less touristy part of Venice; Castello or Cannaregio are good options. Attending Mass in such a church is a very special experience, a chance to be a part of a real Venetian community, and the services are always very moving.

Perhaps try a late-night Mass? These are held throughout the city, candles are lit, and church bells ring out across the city.

You can feel something special is in the air; emotion seems to overwhelm even those with a more calm and cool demeanor, like my husband. For me, Easter in Venice, and indeed, in Italy, moves me to the core of my soul.

Many restaurants are open on both Sunday and Monday and offer traditional set menus.

What do Venetians and Italians Eat at Easter?

Delicious chocolate Easter eggs are now ubiquitous throughout Italy.

They are really different from the ones on sale in the UK and USA in style, taste, and wrapping. The wrapping can sometimes be almost a work of art, so beautifully done that you feel sad to open the thing.

Very often, the eggs contain a little surprise inside for the kids, much like those Kinder Surprise eggs, which are also from Italy and are sold around the world.

Besides the chocolate Easter eggs, the colomba (similar to the traditional Christmas cake, the panettone) is the main Easter treat. People tend to give each other gifts of colomba over Easter. When I worked in Italy, I used to end up with literally dozens of them in the weeks leading up to Easter, and my husband, Andrew, had another dozen. Still, I never complained—just ate them all. Delicious!

For the Easter meal itself, lamb is the main course, and artichokes normally make an appearance somewhere on the menu. For the rest, though, there is no fixed menu, and, apart from the lamb and artichokes, you will find many other dishes offered too.

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