Easter

There are hardly any feasts that include more curious traditions, superstitions and bizarre representations than Easter.
This is our Top Five:

Feasts, customs and superstitions are often a challenge for translators. When you run into cultural borders, but the usual vocabulary and grammar skills are not enough to cross them, you will have to dive into foreign, sometimes even almost forgotten traditions. "Translation competence requires high levels of empathy", says Mag. Sabine Kern, managing director of Interlingua Language Services. "Translators cannot simply translate literally. The specific cultural background of the person who wrote the source text as well as that of the target reader must be taken into consideration. That is the reason why translators also need to have excellent research skills. After all it is often necessary to acquire additional topic-specific knowledge quickly. An example about Easter: There is a traditional Italian dessert called "Colomba Pasquale", which means "Easter Dove". It is similar to a bundt cake filled with dried fruits. If this information is not included on a multilingual restaurant menu, it may be a bit confusing to find a dove listed among the desserts."

But not only menus can be surprising at Easter. There are hardly any feasts that include more curious traditions, superstitions and bizarre representations than Easter. At Interlingua, we have a Top-Five:

„Lo scoppio del carro“: A prophetic dove that is launched like a rocket at the Great Hallelujah
At the Piazza del Duomo in Florence, the Easter Sunday service ends in a very particular way. At the "scoppio del carro", a historical cart is driven to the Cathedral by two white oxen. The cart is connected to the altar by a steel cable. During the Great Hallelujah, a dove-like rocket is set on fire so that it "flies" to the cart through the cable and lights a big fire. If it does not get to the cart and the fire must be set by hand, the city faces a bad year.

Rival animals: bunny, chick and fox
In German-speaking countries, it is the Easter Bunny who traditionally brings eggs to children. But that was not - and it is not - so obvious everywhere: In the 16th century the traditions were extremely diverse. Hens, roosters, foxes, birds, cranes, storks, cuckoos, lambs or even Easter bells...these were all known to bring coloured Easter eggs. And even today, despite its massive presence in the confectionery industry, the Easter Bunny has not completely established itself. Its rivals are, for instance, the Easter Hen in the region of Tirol, the fox in Hannover and the Easter Chick in Sweden.

"Trionfo della Morte": Devils, Death and the Virgin Mary at the "Ballo dei diavoli"
The "Trionfo della Morte", or Triumph of Death, is a bizarre Easter spectacle which attracts numerous tourists to Prizzi (Sicily) every year. Two red devils in steel masks and a personification of death dressed in yellow and wearing a leather mask frighten the population, kidnap prisoners and lock them in bars. Then it gets a bit more pleasant: the prisoners can pay for their release and there are also cannatedi, traditional Easter pastries from Prizzi, as well as wine and grappa. In the evening, resurrected Jesus, Mary and two guardian angels arrive. The devils must prevent them from meeting Death. At the end of the dance of the devils, the "good ones" encircle the "bad ones" and these take the opportunity to escape.

Witches, the Sun’s dance of joy and fragrant bread
An old German superstition says that the Sun jumps of joy three times at sunrise on Easter Sunday. If you go to the seaside or climb a mountain, you can watch this spectacle. Those who do not see the Sun’s dance of joy, are considered bewitched. A Bohemian tradition forbids the baking of bread on Good Friday, since it was believed that the fragrant smell of fresh bread could attract witches.

Easter Dos and Dont's
Under no circumstances should you risk to look at the chiming church bells on Easter Sunday. Incorrigible curious people who can't avoid doing it are threatened with a three-day stiff neck, according to an old saying from Flanders. In comparison with that, Iceland is far safer on Easter Sunday morning. On that particular day, people are supposed to be safe from trolls and wild animals - an excellent opportunity to finally go search for a wish stone.