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1. FESTIVALS -
MNARJA
 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-għana’ is a simple
and spontaneous songs of the Maltese peasantry sung
by the village bards. The għana 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 ‘għannejja’, 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 Siġġiewi, 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. (More
>>)
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
dgħajsa men 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. IL-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 full 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 Bethlehem. The churches are
decorated with flowers and crimson tapestries and
they all display the figure of Baby 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. QUĊĊIJA
The ceremony of the quċċija (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.
9. 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.
10. FALDETTA
 A traditional women’s costumes which has disappeared
completely from the Islands of Malta and Gozo is the
Faldetta or għonnella. 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 men folk.
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 Għonnella is made of cotton or silk
and is always black except around villages of Żabbar
and Żejtun where it is sometimes blue. (More
>>)
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
Every town or village in Malta and Gozo have at
least one feast which they celebrate each year.
Some village feasts 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 Mġarr 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.
15. 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.
 16. 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.
17. 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. GĦAJN RAZUL LEGEND
Tradition has it that the spring known as Għajn 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 and 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. 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.
25. 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!
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. 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 meters in circumference and around
40 meters deep.
29. 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.
30. 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. Lace making in Malta and
neighbouring Gozo trace their origins back to the
16th century. Needle lace was made there as in was
in Venice. This continued until the 19th century
when the depression that descended upon the islands
nearly led to its extinction. One of the most
recognizable traits of Maltese and Gozo lace is the
creamy, honey coloured, Spanish silk from which most
of it is made. Black silk was also used until the
20th century when it declined in favour so is harder
to find today. (More >>)
31. STATUE OF ST GEORGE
The Statute of St George at St George Basilica in
Gozo was carved 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. |
