Why not to spend Easter holidays in Aosta Valley?
The abundant snowfalls of the last weeks will certainly guarantee snow on mountains until late spring. It won’t be definitely difficult to participate to the traditional Easter Egg Competition at La Thuile, the beautiful town situated in a hollow, dominated by the Bulor glacier. Fun is guaranteed for adults and children. On 22th April there will be the competition only for people being at least 12 years old. For younger ones, there is another competition on 18th April.
In another Valley, in the Monterosa ski area, another funny event takes place. Just like every year on Easter Monday, on 21th April it will run the Spring Contest Barbecue. It starts with a barbecue and finishes with a jump over a 20 metres swimming pool. Yes, ski slopes end in a swimming pool! The aim is crossing it without sinking. Only a few brave souls can do it. The location of the event is Gressoney la Trinité.
Another traditional event on Easter Monday is the Foire De La Pâquerette in Courmayeur. In this occasion the city center is animated by hundreds of stands offering local and handmade crafts. Symbolically the fair indicates the end of the winter and the beginning of the spring.
And now, let’s talk about Aosta Valley traditions before Easter.
On Palm Sunday, people enjoy Mass taking in their hands a branch of bay tree with candies, apples, oranges and eggs attached on it, in order to have them blessed. One time eggs were real, now they are made of chocolate. On Good Friday people from the villages play big hornets, called ‘raganella‘, instead of the bells.
Did I give you enough reasons to spend your Easter holidays in Aosta Valley?