Besides the local village “festas”, there are others which are
celebrated on a national scale. The most colourful and boisterous festa
in Malta is the Mnarja a typical Maltese folklore festival with plenty
of music, folk dancing, feasting and colourful horses and donkey races.
The “Imnarja” (a corruption of the Italian “luminara” - illumination) is
centuries old tradition and is referred to as a harvest festival which
is celebrated on June 29th, the feast of St Peter and St Paul. It is
characterised by a nightlong picnic at Buskett Garden, Rabat, on the eve
of the feast during which the native dish ‘fenkata’, stewed rabbit, is
consumed in large quantities accompanied by equally large volumes of
locally produced wine. Exhibits of local produce, marching bands,
decorated carts and folklore singing competitions enliven the night-long
proceedings.
The traditional singing ‘l-ghana’ is a simple and spontaneous songs of
the Maltese peasantry sung by the village bards. The ghana are
melancholic, half oriental airs, something between a Sicilian ballad and
the rhythmic wail of an Arabic tune which seem to express the sadness of
centuries old tales of impassionate love. Similarly two peasants
often carry on a conversation in rhyming quatrains chanting lampoons
with speed and ease producing roars of laughter from the crowds, an
evidence of native skill and humour. The singers, called ‘ghannejja’,
are accompanied by the trilling of guitars. The festivities last until
the early hours of the morning.
The following day in the afternoon, the festivities reach a climax when
bare-back donkey and horse races, an event which traces its origin from
the time of the Knights. Racecourse Street on the road to Siggiewi,
which stands at the bottom of Saqqajja Hill, is the venue for these
historical races. The prizes for the winners of these races are “palji”
(special brocaded banners) which the winners traditionally donate to
their village church to be used as an altar cloth. At the winning post
there is a large arched loggia built in 1696, in which years gone by the
Grand Master used to watch the races attended by members of the Council
of the Order.
2. SEPTEMBER 8 - REGATTA
Every nation has its hour of glory in battle. The Regatta held on
September 8th in Grand Harbour celebrating Malta’s victories during the
Great Siege of 1565 and the Second World War. The magnificent Fort St
Angelo provides and imposing backdrop to the sleek and colourful Maltese
boats. Band marches, water-carnival, boat races and display of
colourful fireworks are the main features attracting large crowds to the
capital city, Valletta and the Grand Harbour.
Rowing teams from the cities bordering Grand Harbour, Valletta,
Vittoriosa, Senglea, Kalkara, Cospicua Marsaxlokk and Marsa, participate
in a number of very exciting races, marked by extreme rivalry between
participating teams and their respective supporters. For weeks on end ,
the best dghajsamen from these areas, prepare for the races with fanatic
zeal and rivalry. In the afternoon of Regatta day thousands of people
crowd the waterfront and the surrounding bastions and craft of every
description converge to the Gran Harbour to watch the races.
The Maltese, being traditionally religious people, a religious connation
was consequently given to the day - ‘Il-Bambina’ as it falls on the
feast of the Nativity of Our Lady or il-Vitorja short for Our Lady of
Victory. There is also the ceremony of the lay of wreaths at the
Monument in Great Siege Square.
3. KARNIVAL
The Maltese really let their hair down in the revelry of Carnival few
days before the beginning of Lent. Malta’ traditional Carnival is a
treat alike for the Island’s inhabitants and for the ever increasing
number of tourists. This three day festivity was introduced in Malta
1535 under Grand Master Pietro del Ponte, five years after the Knights
took over the Island. The main celebration takes place in the capital,
Valletta, but in every town and village children dress up in colourful
clothes to camouflage their identity. The Valletta parata (parade) is
very spectacular, including King Carnival followed by many floats of a
high professional standard. Until some years ago, Carnival was also the
event of the year for dances and masked balls. This type of
entertainment during Carnival had an old tradition behind it. Under the
Knights the Auberges remained open and were delightfully decorated. The
burning of King Carnival on the last day of the festivities also
survived, up to some years ago.
4. IL-KUKKANJA
A carnival attraction was added in 1721 called Il-Kukkanja (the
cockaigne) which proved to be extremely popular. It did not last very
long as Grand Master De Rohan suppressed it and an attempt by the
British to revive it were unsuccessful. The Kukkanja was held in the
city main square.
This is how it was described by one of the locals: “Long beams were
fixed against the guard house opposite the palace, and between each
beam, rope-ladders were fastened the whole being covered over with
branches of trees in leaf, to which were tied live animals, baskets
fulls of eggs, hams, sausages and all kinds of provisions. The wooden
edifice was crowned with a globe, made up of hoops and covered with
linen cloth, on which stood the figure of Fame holding a flag with the
Grand Master’s coat of arms. Crowds of people assembled in the spacious
square and at a given signal started the attack on the Kukkanja. The
provisions became the property of those who, having seized them, were
able to carry them safely through the crowds.
To the first individual who reached the figure of Fame was allotted some
pecuniary remuneration which was well earned, considering the struggle
he gone through to reach the object, an on the standard being taken to
be returned to the Grand Master, the cloth-covered globe burst open and
out came a flight of pigeons.”
5. IL-LUZZU
The Luzzu is another boat, also uniquely Maltese, but bigger than the
dghajsa. It is painted in the traditional colures of red, blue and
yellow. The Luzzu is a sturdy and reliable sea craft and can be put to
sea in almost every kind of weather. Primarily the Luzzu is a fishing
boat but it has other uses namely ferrying locals and tourists across
the Grand Harbour and the impressive bastions and fortifications that
surrounds Valletta and the Three Cities.
Many Luzzus have the eye of Osiris painted or carved on the bow, a
symbol brought to Malta by the Phoenicians. This seems to suggest that
craft of this type must have been common in the harbour since the time
of the Phoenicians and Carthaginians. Luzzus today run on outboard
motors.
6. CHRISTMAS IN MALTA
In Malta and Gozo, as most other places, special church services and
other celebrations are held to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Most of the streets are beautifully decorated with festoons,
multi-coloured lights and garlands. Every shop window displays the usual
Christmas tree and a variety of toys and things to lure Christmas
shoppers who jam the streets. To add to the joy and excitement of the
Christmas rush and bustle there is also the joyful ringing of the church
bells which ring our all over the islands to greet the nativity of
Christ.
In addition to all this the Maltese Islands have their own
characteristics. The artistic presepju (crib) believed to have been
introduced in Malta by the Franciscan friars who settled at Rabat in
1370. The Presepju is a miniature representation of the nativity scene
in Betlehem. The churches are decorated with flowers and crimson
tapestries and they all display the figure of Babu Jesus. During
midnight Mass a young boy dressed as an acolyte recites the special
sermon on the Holy Infant.
7. KARROZZIN
Among those things which distinguish the Maltese from other nations we
find the Karrozzin (horse-drawn carts). The Karrozzin was introduced
into Malta around 1856. Queen Victoria was the reigning monarch at that
time and these horse drawn vehicles were first known as ‘Victoria’. For
many years were the main means of transport until the arrival of cars,
trams and buses in the beginning of this century.
8. FALDETTA
A traditional women’s costumes which has disappeared completely from the
Islands of Malta and Gozo is the Faldetta or ghonnella. Nobody knows
the origin of this stiffened head dress. Some say it derives from the
eastern veil, or from Spanish mantilla. Others maintain that it was
first introduced in 1222 as a sign of mourning by the women of Celano
(Italy) who were expelled to Malta following the massacre of their
menfolk.
Yet another theory is that its origin is evolved from necessity for
women to veil their head when entering a church; the poorer country
girls, lacking cloaks or lace shawls, placed a spare skirt over their
head. The Ghonnella is made of cotton or silk and is always black
except around villages of Zabbar and Zejtun where it is sometimes blue.
9. QUCCIJA
The ceremony of the quccija (choosing) is an old custom concerning a
child’s first birthday. A basket is filled with a number of objects
representing various trades or profession - Rosary beads, an ink-well, a
book.... and the first object the tiny hand of the child chooses
foretells the little child’s future. It is believe that such a practice
is found in remote villages in Greece and Sicily.
10. EVIL EYE
The Evil Eye is commonly accepted as a fact. To ward off the ill
effects of people either make the Sign of the Cross or more frequently
pointing the index and little fingers at the source of the menace. It
is believed that certain families possess this unfortunate gift and
since the disastrous consequences of their admiration of your wife or
husband, your child, your pet or your house are beyond their control, it
is permissible to make the sign of bull’s horns behind your back to
avoid causing them hurt and embarrassment.
11. HOLY BREAD
Before cutting a new loaf the Maltese used to kiss it and make the sign
of the Cross on it with the knife. Bread is treated with great respect
as it is considered, in its form and ingredients, the holy bread at the
Mass or the Divine presence.
12. PARISH FESTAS
Some village feats have kept their particular characteristics:
At Birkirkara, for instance, the villagers retained the tradition by
holding its procession with the statue of St Helen in the morning
braving the hot sun of August.
At Mgarr an auction is held among those wishing to carry the statue of
Santa Marija, the job going to the highest bidders: the money to the
Church.
13. LAPSI
In the Old days Lapsi - the Feast of the Ascension of the lord - was the
old time for families to go swimming and play at swings. Exposure to
the sun was considered dangerous ( they did not know about the Ozone
layer) as well as immodest. So the ladies, wearing far too many
clothes, used to go up and down in shallow water in long shafts which
ballooned and floated to the surface.
14. LIZARDS ON FILFLA.
Filfla is a tiny islet off the coast of Malta. It was used for target
practice by the British Mediterranean Fleet. There was a persistent
rumour that there lived unique two-tailed lizards on this islet. Lizards
shed their tail when trying to dodge a predator. It was later explained
that some of the tails did not come off completely and when a new one
was generated it fused with the old part and hey presto we got
two-tailed lizards.
15. SAINT PAUL AND VALLETTA.
Before Valletta was built there was a road leading to Fort St. Elmo at
the end of the peninsula. This road was called Sancti Pauli in honour of
a shrine to St. Paul on the site of the present church dedicated to
Saint Paul. It was presumably desecrated by the Turks who laid siege to
St. Elmo in 1565. During the building of Valletta it became a chapel
dedicated to Saint Paul and was the site of the first investiture of a
knight in Valletta.
16. SAINT. PAUL'S GROTTO
There is a legend that states that St. Paul's cave remains the same size
notwithstanding that people remove pieces of rock from the cave as
souvenirs.
17. SAINT PAUL AGAIN
Another legend says that when St Paul was preaching at Burmarrad, his
voice carried as far away as Gozo where the people there flocked on the
coast to hear his sermon.
18. SAINT PAUL AND THE VIPER
This is well known legend. It is believed that St Paul was gathering
wood to make a fire to warm himself and the other shipwrecked people,
when out of the sticks came a venomous viper that bit him. The Maltese
expected him to die of poisoning but instead no harm happened to him. It
is said that from that day snakes and scorpions in Malta are quite
harmless and non-poisonous.
19. GHAJN RAZUL LEGEND
Tradition has it that the spring known as Ghajn Razul was the work of
Saint Paul who needed water for his shipmates after their shipwreck on
Malta. The name ‘Razul’ is derived from the Phoenician language and
means ‘apostle’ thus giving more credibility to the Pauline connection.
Of more importance is the fact that if this was truly the work of Saint
Paul it would point to his shipwreck being in St. Paul's Bay and not at
Mistra where there was another spring
20. MUTINY IN FORT RICASOLI
Mention of the Froberg Regiment in Malta is associated with a serious
mutiny. This regiment, part of the British Army that garrisoned the
island before 1813 was made up of Greek, Sicilian and Corsican
mercenaries. Raised in 1806 they were brutally treated and on 4 April
1807 the Sicilians revolted and shut themselves up in Fort Ricasoli.
Negotiations proved futile and after a week they blew up the powder
magazine. Loyal troops overpowered the mutineers. 30 were condemned to
death by court martial. Malta's first mutiny was over.
21. TA' FRANKUNI
Originally Franconi was an Italian family name. Fabrizio Franconi, a
one-time general on the Order's warships was given a piece of land in
Floriana in 1739 to build a house with garden. The house grew and grew,
so did the garden and around 1802 it began to house the mentally ill.
When overcrowding set in they were moved elsewhere. In 1871 it was used
as a mess for British Officers. Today it is no longer in existence.
22. THE CAMARATA
Lutheranism in Germany, the Reformation in England and France and the
arrival of the Jesuits in Malta all contributed to the erection of the
Camerata. It was noticed in 1592 that many knights were in need of
spiritual help. The Jesuits built a house for private spiritual retreats
for the knights near the hospital at the end of Valletta. It was
subsequently enlarged and had rooms holding the hospital linen. The
British tore it down and built a massive block of flats to be used as
married quarters. When Malta became a great naval base it became the
Camerata a naval hostel. Today it is a housing estate.
23. TREASURE AT FORT RICASOLI
The Maltese ghost is mainly called ‘Il-hares’ perhaps a relative of the
Roman ‘Lares’ (household gods). One such entity, in the form of a Turk,
awakened a workman at Fort Ricasoli and told him of a big treasure
within the fort. This man told one of his friends and together they went
to look at the indicated spot. They found a lot of coal coins. As in
other local folk tales the coins were turned to coal. The following
night the hares reappeared and beat up the man for sharing the secret.
Moral: What the ‘hares’ tell you, is for your eyes only!
24. FAMILY TREES
‘L-arblu tar-razza’, building a family tree, requires lots of
research. The Public Registry in Malta started functioning in 1864.
Any information before this date has to be gleaned from parish
registers. It is an age old custom in Malta that the marriage ceremony
is celebrated in the bride's parish. So that is where the research
should start. Recently Pieta has had a tremendous spate of birth
registrations: Malta's main maternity hospital is situated there!
25. WATER FROM RABAT
The Arabs separated Mdina from Rabat turning the former into a fortified
camp. The geological formation of the land thereabouts made the area
Malta's main water producer. The Arabs, well used to arid climates,
built artificial channels to bring water to the fields below Saqqajja.
Grand Master Wignacourt started his aqueduct there in 1610 to take water
to Valletta. Grand Master, De Rohan built the fountain on the hill
leading to Saqqajja.
26. THE FEAST OF SAINT JULIAN
The feast of St Julian takes place on the last weekend in August. St
Julian is the patron saint for hunters, having been a hunter himself. So
every year on the Sunday of the feast a large number of hunters are
allowed on the roof of the church from where they fire their shotguns as
the statue is being carried out of the church.
26. THE NORMAN HOUSE IN MDINA
One of the Norman houses in Mdina has a large number of small pyramids
embellishing its facade. The only problem is that most of them have had
their points knocked off. Tradition has it that diamonds were planted
within each point. Many years ago thieves broke off all the tips tried
to get at them but their efforts were in vain.
27. WHAT IS A ‘KENUR’?
Due to the lack of fire-wood ovens in centuries past, a slow cooking
method was used to prepare most Maltese dishes. Food was placed in
earthenware pots over a little stone hearth called "kenur" which needed
constant tending and fanning. Subsequently, slow simmering became
something of the hallmark of many Maltese dishes and despite the
introduction of gas and electric cookers, slow cooking is still the
housewife's favourite.
28. THE ART OF LACING
Malta lace is a traditional craft famous for centuries. It is beautiful
to look at and apparently permanent. It is hand made by women on both
islands, particularly in Gozo, where visitors can watch women sitting at
their doorsteps nimbly plying the flying bobbins to turn out a
traditional or more modern pattern. One can choose from table cloths or
tea-towels which look fabulous at any occasion from causal to formal.
29. IL MAQLUBA
This legend states that there was an evil village just south of Qrendi.
The people were so bad that God punished them by opening the ground and
the whole village was swallowed by the earth. The large hole is around
50 metres in circumference and around 40 metres deep.
30. CHOLERA IN MALTA
Cholera made no exception of Malta. A serious outbreak of the plague
occurred in 1831. Enteric fever carried in goats’ milk once claimed the
lives of thousands as witnessed by the lonely graves in the cemetery of
Chambray.
31. STATUE OF ST GEORGE
The Statute of St George at St George Basilica in Gozo was craved out of
wood in 1841 by Master Paolo Azzopardi, a sculptor from Valletta. This
statute was ordered and paid for by a member of a Maltese family who
wanted to remain anonymous, in thanksgiving to the Saint after
recovering from a very serious illness. St George was one of the patron
saints of Gozo through his intercession the island was delivered from
plague and cholera in 1814.
32. A MATTER OF TEETH
For along time it was believed that there was proof of the presence on
the island of Neanderthal man, who lived about 100,000 years ago, since
human teeth characteristic of prehistoric man were found in the grotto.
Unfortunately, one day a dentist extracted a tooth from a local
inhabitant and found it was identical to the one found in the cave!! The
doubts which then arose were later confirmed by modern scientific
methods of analysis.
More to come!
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E-mail to Frank Scicluna.
1. FESTIVALS - MNARJA