The Sardinians are mad...

...Asterix and Obelix would say in dismay. In Sardinia, two Easter celebrations are observed, a large one (pasca manna) and a small one (paschixèdda). This is incomprehensible to Gauls. Only backyard Romans could come up with something so absurd.

As a German, however, I see things differently. In fact, we also have two public holidays at Easter in Germany, namely Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. In Sardinia, these are called ‘pasqua’ and “pasquetta”. Easter is also celebrated over two days in Sardinia, with Monday being given the suffix ‘...quetta’ (= cute, small) to distinguish it linguistically. In any case, I see no reason to call the Sardinians ‘weirdos’. Or do I?

I particularly love Pasquetta, and I'm sure all foodies around the world do too. (I'm excluding vegans, vegetarians and their relatives here, just to be on the safe side, because milk-fed lambs and goats are not for the faint-hearted.) They are served at Easter, and in this respect the Sardinians are following the very best Christian tradition, in stark contrast to the pagan Gauls, who prefer to roast wild boar.

However, appearances can be deceiving. The small and the big Easter celebrations are by no means Easter Sunday and Monday, but, believe it or not, Christmas and Easter!

Christmas (Paschixèdda) is the minor festival, while Easter (Pasca Manna) is the major one. Easter is therefore more important to Sardinians than Christmas! This is truly surprising, and against this backdrop, I can only agree with Asterix and Obelix. A comparison of Father Christmas with the Easter Bunny reveals that Christmas is much more important. The latter is a real lightweight. It's unimaginable to pit the two against each other! What does he have in his basket compared to what Father Christmas has in his sack? Not to mention the carriage and reindeer!

But appearances can be deceiving. The Sardinians are by no means crazy. Easter is historically and liturgically the more important of the two festivals, even if it seems quite different to us today.

Easter in Sardinia is a fusion of Christian rites and pagan traditions. The liturgical celebrations begin on Palm Sunday and intensify sombrely until Good Friday, only to explode with joy on Easter Eve with the resurrection of the crucified Christ. Anyone who has experienced this once will never forget it.

By Easter Monday, it's all over. While Sunday is celebrated ‘in famiglia’, the following day sees Sardinians rushing outdoors. Picnic baskets are packed and, after the heavenly joys, the earthly ones are not neglected either: the first big party of the year gets underway with friends, relatives and neighbours!

Whether this is thanks to the small or the big Easter celebration is ultimately irrelevant to me. Eating, drinking and being among friends is much more important to me. That's why I feel so at home in Sardinia among the Sardinians, and Asterix and Obelix can kiss my...

With a Sardinian ‘Adiosu’, I bid you farewell for today.

Joachim Waßmann