Italian Good Friday Traditions: Fish, Faith & Family

What Italians Do on Good Friday (Venerdì Santo)

Good Friday is a solemn day of penance in Italy, observed with deep-rooted Catholic traditions.

1. Eat Fish — No Meat

• Canon law requires abstinence from meat.
• Baccalà (salt cod) reigns: stewed with tomatoes, onions, potatoes (baccalà alla vicentina), or fried.
• Other dishes: pasta con frutti di mare, zuppa di pesce, grilled whole fish.

2. Attend Church Services

• Liturgy of the Passion (3 PM): Reading of John's Passion, veneration of the Cross, Communion (consecrated Holy Thursday).
• Stations of the Cross (Via Crucis): 14 stations — often outdoor processions through streets, stopping at shrines.
• Rome: Pope leads Via Crucis at Colosseum — televised globally.

3. Personal Penance

• Fasting: One full meal, two small collations (age 18–59).
• Prayer: Rosary, Miserere, silent meditation.
• Sacrifice: Giving up coffee, sweets, social media, etc.

4. Family Time

• Quiet gathering after services. Simple meal. Reflection. No parties.
• In South, strina (olive branch) blessed, kept for protection.

Atmosphere

Church bells silent from Holy Thursday to Easter Vigil. Streets hushed. A collective pause before Sunday's joy.