The rattle also has a more liturgical role. To this day, during the three days preceding Easter, church bells remain silent. There’s no music or organ playing at mass, a sign of the atmosphere of mourning.
It was customary to say “The bells have flown to Rome” to reflect this great silence. The rattle replaced the bells to announce the Angelus and church services.
A number of traditions have developed in different parts of Europe and are still firmly rooted, notably in Alsace, where tradition is perpetuated from generation to generation. Children are called upon to play the rattle in the streets during the three days preceding Easter.
