If you are lucky, your trip to Malta will coincide with a local festival or ‘festa’. And to be honest, you don’t even need to be all that lucky, as there were 122 of them a year at last count.
You will know when you encounter a festa, as it is not a discrete affair. The local church will be lit up like a Christmas tree, there will be banners and bunting along the streets, and at night (and at various points during the day) fireworks are let off with a resounding boom. The fireworks are probably the most spectacular part of the festa, and can run to between €12,000 and €40,000 to the organisers. Said organisers are generally local volunteers, and the festa is centred around the neighbourhood band club. The festas celebrate the local saint, and will usually feature a procession where a statue of same is carried around the place while the band plays jaunty music in it’s wake. Often you will find stalls selling fast food, beer (natch), sweets and assorted Maltese products, and the people turn out in force to celebrate. Something you really should experience at least once if you get the opportunity.
You can check out a list of festas here to find one near you.
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