Now that Spring is finally upon us, the temptation to leave everything behind and just go out to enjoy the weather is sometimes overwhelming. Thankfully, the calendar comes around to help with Tuscany's favourite holiday of all times, Easter. While it is not as heartfelt as it used to be back in the day, it's still a great time to come out, celebrate and go around the region to find out interesting corners and historic celebrations. This is why, rather than delving deep into yet another little-known page of history, this week What's Up Tuscany will offer you a quick tour of this land to show you the quirkiest festivals that have been welcoming Easter for many centuries. If you listen to the full episode, you'll learn everything there is to know about Tuscany's most famous Easter celebration, the very odd "Scoppio del carro" in Florence, where fireworks and an historic promenade have been the coronation of the Holy Week since the Middle Ages. if you like your Easter to be all about the reason for the season, you're only spoiled for choice, considering the wealth of processions and reenactments that are hosted throughout the region. Few are more complex and charming as the one in Castiglion Fiorentino, a week long festival that culminates in the so-called "flight of the redentor", that features a flying Jesus statue. If you're into even quirkier celebrations, how about the "ruzzolata delle uova" in Mugello or the massive flower festival in San Casciano that has two churches fighting each other. Whatever you choose to do, just unplug for a bit and enjoy the company of your loved ones. There's no time like today: might as well enjoy it while you can. Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larno.it Twitter: @arno_it / @WhatsupTuscany LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY) https://www.seidifirenzese.it/2018/03/30/le-tradizioni-fiorentine-pasqua/ https://www.italybyevents.com/eventi/toscana/scoppio-del-carro-firenze/ http://www.frammentiditoscana.it/processioni-settimana-santa-arezzo-siena/ https://www.livornosera.it/eventi-livorno/usanze-pasquali-dalla-ruzzolata-delluovo-alla-gita-porta/ https://www.intoscana.it/it/articolo/pasqua-in-toscana-feste-tradizioni-e-rievocazioni-della-passione/ https://firenze.repubblica.it/cronaca/2014/04/18/news/pasqua_le_tradizioni_in_toscana-83957137/ https://www.nove.firenze.it/pasqua-una-tradizione-secolare-in-toscana.htm https://www.firenzetoday.it/eventi/pasqua-2015-firenze-toscana.html https://www.coopfirenze.it/informatori/notizie/ovunque-in-toscana https://www.vignaiolidiscansano.it/la-pasqua-in-maremma/ BACKGROUND MUSIC Pipe Choir - Bom Bom Breakthrough (Instrumental) Pipe Choir - A Slave to Nothing (Instrumental) WUFO - Hyde Park Wayne John Bradley - Pick you up Wayne John Bradley - Blues Rock Original Instrumental All released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-bom-bom-breakthrough-creative-commons-instrumental https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-a-slave-to-nothing-instrumental https://soundcloud.com/argofox/wufo-hyde-park https://soundcloud.com/ayneohnradley/pick-you-up-slow-poprock-style-instrumental-creative-commons https://soundcloud.com/ayneohnradley/blues-rock-original-instrumentalcreative-commons http://www.pipechoir.com/