Traditional Maltese Festas
One of the main traditional events which is a must to visit, is the traditional Village Festa or the Maltese Festa (feast in English). The Island has a long history of Festas, which are celebrations dedicated to the patron Saint of the village or town. There are over 60 Festas that are celebrated between March and December, the majority of them being celebrated in summer.
The Festa celebrations can be split in two main parts. The first part is the religious celebrations that happen inside the church, which includes various prayers to the particular Saint. Then another major part of the festa takes place outside the church walls. these celebrations includes fireworks (as you can see in the video in the bottom of the page), band clubs, colourful streets and also traditional food such as the ‘Qubbajt’.
There are various festas that attract hundreds of people from around the world, however one of the most famous festas is that of Ħaż-Żebbuġ. This town is also known as Citta’ Rohan and the Patron Saint is Philip of Agira. What makes this festa one of the most famous ones in Malta is that this town has two major bands celebrating the feast of St. Philip, which means a whole week of celebrations, music by band clubs, fireworks, traditional and fast food stands. The town of Ħaż-Żebbuġ celebrate another feast, that of St. Joseph.
There are other popular festas among the Maltese, some of them being the feast of St.Catherine in Zejtun, the feast of St.George and St. Sebastian in Qormi, the feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord in Hal Lija, the feast of St. Mary which is celebrated in many localities and many others. All the localities celebrate the feast of their patron Saint with great passion, visiting one of these feasts is a must!
Fireworks in Malta
The evenings are spectacular with ground and also aerial fireworks. Fireworks in Malta have a long tradition and as a result, today fireworks in Malta are considered to be among the best in the world. There are some 35 fireworks factories and enthusiasts that work all year round to prepare fireworks work on a voluntary basis.
If you want to experience some different nightlife in Malta, visit a Maltese Festa. The below is what you can expect to experience. This video shows some of the Maltese talent when it comes to fireworks. The feast is that of St. Mary’s, a feast that is celebrated in Mqabba among other localities.
Something that many find hard to believe is that the creators of these astonishing fireworks do not get paid. That’s right, they just do it for the passion of their hobby. The funds of these fireworks normally come from the locals that support the local feast in monetary terms.
