VILLAGE FESTAS IN MALTA

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No visit to the Islands between May and September would be complete without seeing a village festa in full swing, a poplular component of Maltese summer nightlife. It's a chance to catch a slice of island life close up and be part of a tradition that stretches back to the 16th century. You won't need to plan though to see one while you're here. In summer, there's at least a couple of festas every weekend (see the festa calendar at the bottom of this page).

Festas may seem chaotic exuberance at times, but a lot of careful planning goes into organising the week. And the event is still very much a spiritual affair. Besides processions, band marches and confetti throwing, the Maltese pride themselves in performing spectacular firework displays, both in air and also the popular "juoco di fuoco" show, where fireworks are built onto ever increasingly complex revolving wheels attached on masts, powered solely by jet propulsion produced by colourful fireworks.

During the three days of tridum, you see families flock to churches, and lots of crowds partying all over the village. The church is illuminated with thousands of bulbs and festooned with decorations inside and out. Parishioners do the same to their own houses, often inviting family and friends over. The church's treasures are available on show during this lovely occasion which every person should not miss.. There are illuminated and decorated streets. Bands play band marches on the streets while locals (in their thousands) dance around in the squares. Colourful fireworks (generally Murtaletti Spanjoli), small Spanish colourful bombs, are let off at all times of day while in the evening there is the Giggifogu, a corruption of the Italian, "guoco di fuoco", translating as "fire games".

On the actual feast day, the statue of the patron saint is carried around the streets of the town shoulder high, and showered with confetti as it wends its way through the streets, to the cheers of the enthusiastic crowds.

There is something unusually captivating about a typical Maltese village festa. It is a time for both spiritual contemplation and for the whole parish to come together. The festa is the main social event in the village year. Festa week is the outcome of months of hard work by willing volunteers and villagers feel a strong, close-knit camaraderie after so many months of preparation.

CALENDAR OF MALTESE FESTAS 2002

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