This is all accompanied by an array of
clergymen, altar boys and finally by
the parish priest. During the procession,
the marching band plays holy hymns,
as well as one or two hymns dedicated
to the patron saint they’re celebrating.
The procession generally ends when
the statue-carriers arrive at the church
parvis, and with a traditional run, carry
the statue up the stairs and back into
the church. The Maltese still very much
cherish this aspect of the festa, although
most use it as an excuse to show off
their new outfit! However, this solemn
part of the festivities still remains at the
heart of each festa, even though some
other aspects of the festa seem to throw
all religious meaning out the door.
In stark contrast with the solemnity and
sombreness of the religious procession
Sunday evening, the usual Sunday
morning festivities are characterised
by noise, drunkenness and revelry.
The ‘marċ’ of Sunday morning is what
usually comes in mind when one thinks
of a Maltese festa – paper confetti
streaming the air, the marching band
hollering traditional and local anthems
(most of which are clamorous attacks
on the rival band club), and oodles of
beer! Most towns or villages have at
least two band clubs, who, in typical
Maltese partisan fashion, are pitted
against one another. This results in a
mock rivalry that usually ends as soon
as the festa week is over. However, it
does give the revellers someone or
something to insult during the drunken
debauchery of Sunday morning. One
of the most notorious localities to still
have this tenacious rivalry amongst its
two band clubs is the town of Ħamrun,
where the ‘Tal-Miskina’ and ‘Tat-Tamal’
still keep the rivalry very much alive.
Nevertheless, the Sunday morning
festivities are truly colourful affairs, full
of deafening music and merry people
enjoying and celebrating the saint’s
day in a truly Mediterranean way.
Add a good dose of Maltese summer
sunshine to the mix, and you get one
of the most unique and characterising
aspects of Maltese culture – the
Maltese festa. This distinctive feature
has helped form the national Maltese
character – hard-working people who
take their time to commemorate and
hold the sacred dear, while also being
able to celebrate it in a merry festivity.
The festa is an inherent part of our
character as Maltese, and year after
year, the festas continue to brighten
our calendars with their multi-coloured
fireworks and their myriad of colours.
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