Il-Festa
C
hildren
scream
in
delight, zooming past
with a handful of paper
confetti in their hands.
Fireworks spiral their
way into the air, leaving
behind a trail of gleaming light. Band
players huff and puff away at their
trumpets and trombones, the odd
thump from the bass drum echoing.
Vendors call out to eager buyers,
proudly showing off their wares. The
statue of the patron saint looks on,
quietly admiring its loyal subjects.
The smell of nougat and fresh date
cakes fills the air. And to think that
this occurrence happens every week
during the Maltese summer!
The village festa is all this and more.
It is a weekly celebration, an all-out
festivity which unites (and in some
cases divides, but more on that later)
the village community. The festa is
first and foremost a celebration of
the patron saint’s day, and religious
commemorations still take place in
the beautifully decorated churches.
Each town or village has at least one
patron saint, with some having two
or even three. Each Sunday during
the summer, you are guaranteed to
find a festa taking place somewhere
in Malta. Sometimes there are more
than one festa taking place on the
same day, especially if the churches
are dedicated to the same patron
saint. It is a hub of activity, offering
something for everyone. Hearty
food, plenty of drink and great
company are usually at the centre
of each festa. It is an intrinsically
Mediterranean festivity, combining
all the constituents of the traditional
Mediterranean character – loud music
and cheer, good food, friendly people
and a lively atmosphere.
These celebrations date back to the
1500s, when the Knights of St John
celebrated a few selected feast days
with
34 outdoor festivities. In 1777,
It-Tajba!
Grand Master de Rohan encouraged
the Maltese populace to take part
and celebrate these religious events
with great fanfare, leading up to the
jovial affairs they are today. The
first celebrated festas used string
instruments, a nd traditional Maltese
instruments such as ‘iż-żaqq’, to
create a cheery musical atmosphere
while celebrating the patron saint.
However, these differed greatly from
the festas we know and love today.
Back then the ‘festa’ was a time when
the poor man got to eat like the rich
man, all in the name of the patron
saint. With the ongoing years, and
the decline of poverty in the Maltese
islands, the ‘festa’ started to take
on another hue. Although food is
still quite present during festa time,
and there is still some food which is
associated typically with the festa, it
has now taken a back-seat, and made
way to a more lavish festivity. Make
sure to enjoy some typical festa food
while you’re there – a nougat bar will
be a sure-fire hit (and makes for a
great souvenir!).
Each festa also has its own
peculiarities. In Birzebbuga, a seaside
village, the statue of the patron saint
St. Peter arrives by boat. In St. Julian’s
and Msida, a greased pole contest
entertains spectators. The mast-size
slippery pole extends horizontally
over the water from a barge and
competitors take turns sliding to the
end to retrieve a flag, with predictable
hilarious results.
The main festa festivities take place
inside
the
strikingly
decorated
churches, dressed to the nines in red