Easter Celebration in Modica (Madonna Vasa Vasa)

Easter Sunday is the day most characteristic in the ancient city of Modica, where the meeting takes place between the Virgin Mary and the Risen Christ. At about 10 am by the Church of St. Mary of Bethlehem starts a procession with the statue of the Risen Christ accompanied by the local band along the streets of Old Town. After a few moments out of the same church, the statue of the Madonna dressed almost entirely by a black cloak as a sign of mourning comes out, and that takes a different path in the neighborhood streets of the old town in search of the Risen Son. At 12.00 o'clock in the Town Hall Square packed with people, when the two statues are now facing each other at a distance away, is made to fall off the black mantle of the Madonna, which in turn frees some white doves and makes appear the blue cloak in its splendor. A feature of this festival is the movement that's undertaken to Madonna via a mechanical mechanism performed by a skilled manipulator, the statue of the Madonna opens and raises her arms repeatedly. Between shots of firecrackers and the cheers of the crowd the two statues are made ​​closer facing each other and the Madonna bends over and kisses her Son the Risen Christ. From here comes the Sicilian saying "Vasa Vasa" meaning the special kiss.
The festival dates back to the '600 and has Spanish origins.