- Cas Gasi -
Easter traditions – serious and sweet

Easter in Ibiza is a fascinating affair that needs to be witnessed (at least) once in a lifetime. Semana Santa, the weeklong religious festival, is marked by a series of sombre, yet striking, processions through our towns and villages. With an eerie air of silence, occasionally accompanied by ringing bells, participants dress in black, white and violet robes and conical hats out of the Middle Ages, carrying candles and effigies from church to church from sundown until late.

Ibiza’s own UNESCO World Heritage Listed Site Dalt Vila is the most impressive location to witness the mysterious and sometimes unnerving spectacle, and the Easter period is one of the most beautiful times of year to take an out-of-season trip to the white isle. Cas Gasi provides the perfect cosy complement to Semana Santa’s seriousness, sharing their own Easter traditions with guests, hailing from Margaret’s German and Austrian heritage.

The night before Easter Sunday sees owner Margaret take over the warm kitchen, baking her annual treat of a sweet brioche in the shape of a rabbit for the following morning – the wholesome smell of baked goods wafting through the living area adding further to the hotel’s sense of home-away-from-home.

Then, she hard boils eggs and colour-tints them with natural colorants or in brown via onion peels. The next morning, Margaret hides a mixture of delicious, high-quality chocolate eggs and some of the real, coloured eggs in the garden for a good old-fashioned Easter egg hunt for any children that may be staying in the hotel.

Each breakfast table is set with a beautifully decorated basket, filled with more chocolate eggs, coloured eggs and Lindt bunnies, while the brioche bunny sits alongside the bread and pastries. Over breakfast, guests may wish to take part in a traditional Easter game: Each person takes a hard boiled egg from the basket and clashes it against that of the person opposite. The last to break is the winner (actually, everyone’s a winner because afterwards the eggs can be sliced an eaten on toast!). Fun for all the family, and a tradition that will continue on through Cas Gasi generations.