Holy Week and Easter in Ramacca

A tradition lost in time

The Holy Week and Easter in Ramacca, in the municipality of Ramacca in the province of Catania, is one of the most profound identity-defining events in the Calatino territory of eastern Sicily. For an entire week, the town's historic center transforms into a grand open-air sacred theater, where ancient rites, dialectal songs, and popular devotion intertwine in a journey that culminates in the joy of Easter. It is a festival that brings the entire community together and attracts Ramacca emigrants every year, who return specifically to relive the emotions of the processions.

The moments of the rites

The celebrations unfold throughout Holy Week with a sequence of processions and traditional rites:

• Holy Wednesday: the procession of the Lord at the Column and the Our Lady of Sorrows travels through the town streets, accompanied by parish communities and a procession of the faithful.
• Holy Thursday: in the San Giuseppe Parish, traditional folk songs resonate, including the famous 'lamenti' and 'A misa do mantellu', performed by elderly singers who preserve the Ramacca dialect.
• Good Friday: this is the day of the 'Scisa a Cruci', the deposition of the dead Christ. The statue is removed from the cross, placed in a glass case, and carried in procession throughout the town by hooded figures in a rite of extraordinary emotional power.
• Easter Sunday: at noon, in Piazza Umberto, the highly anticipated encounter between the Risen Christ and the Madonna takes place. The statues, carried on shoulders, are rushed toward each other three times; the Virgin's black mantle falls to reveal a blue dress, amidst the flight of doves and the sound of fireworks.

The bearers and the community

A distinctive feature of the Ramacca Holy Week is that the statues are carried strictly on shoulders, without any mechanical aid: over seventy bearers of all ages take turns supporting the weight of the statues along the streets of the municipality. The rites are organized by the Festival Committee together with the San Giuseppe Parish, the Sacred Heart Confraternity, and the Musical Band Corps, with the support of the municipal administration.

A festival shared even from afar

For several years, the main moments of the Holy Week in Ramacca have been broadcast via live streaming, allowing Ramacca residents living outside the town and abroad to follow the processions and rites in real time. It is a way to keep the bond with the community alive and pass on one of Sicily's most deeply rooted traditions to new generations.

When it takes place

The 2026 edition took place from March 29 to April 5, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. The dates vary each year according to the liturgical Easter calendar.