Now recognised by UNESCO as part of the international heritage of humans
By our Malta Correspondent, Albert Fenech
Worldwide commitment and adherence to religion and religious participation has waned very sharply in recent years and likewise in Malta and Gozo, islands in which the strength of the Roman Catholic religion plays an integral, intangible part of its whole history of development.
In startling contrast, the islands have recently been highly honoured in their celebrations of religious “festas” with an award as being an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
As a result of past beliefs and religious developments there are 359 churches and chapels on the two islands of separate diocese, 313 of which are in Malta and 46 in Gozo and these devolve into 78 parishes in Malta and 15 in Gozo and six parishes are regarded as national parishes, – two cathedrals and a number of basilicas.
There are towns like Sliema and Birkirkara which host four parishes as dedications to Our Lady, the Son of God or different saints.
This means that there is a church density of slightly more than one church per square kilometre!
However, despite the sharp decrease in religious ritual, festas have retained their enormous community appeal in all localities and are a concentrated rivalry between different parishes and band clubs and their manner of celebration.
In my explanation these rivalries are not religious but community pride to reflect “what they can do, we can do better!”
So what does a local festa consist of? The majority – except those falling on a religious public holiday like The Conception – are held over a three-day weekend.
Important to explain at this point a festa does not solely consist of religious and church functions but includes a lot of entertaining outdoor events such as wonderful ground and aerial fireworks displays, boisterous brass band marches, exhibitions and performances and musical and choral productions.
The start is a week before the festa celebration when the parish-dedicated statue is taken out of its niche and placed on public display in the church, surrounded by bunches of flowers and wreaths.
Parish streets are highly decorated with colourful bulbs and lanterns, designed cloth banners and iconic holy statues.
The opening on the Friday evening which follows will be a boisterous and local brass band march (as each parish more or less has its own band, and in some cases, two rival bands). There may also be both kinds of fireworks displays but these are often mounted on Saturday evenings.
Malta is further renowned for its manufacturing fireworks factories, limited in number but producing both ground and aerial displays and nowadays highly impressive techno displays coordinated to music.
Mqabba, Qrendi, Birkirkara and Lija are particularly famed for these and provide them in many localities as well as often being invited to feature in overseas international displays.
The festa religion climax comes to glory on Sunday with an especially-dedicated sung Holy Mass and the blessing of the statue.
Externally, there are coloured smoke fireworks displays precisely at 8am and 12 noon and of course throughout the evening when the formal outdoor procession with the statue is held under the patronage if the Parish Priest and his colleagues, surrounded by all pomp and circumstance.
The UNESCO award achievement will be celebrated on Saturday 19th October at Tritons Square in Valletta, preceded by a solemn High Holy Mass in St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta.
For this occasion, hundreds of musicians will come together in Tritons Square to form the largest-ever Maltese brass band.
The cultural celebration will be called ‘FUQ IL-FESTA’ (Topping the Festa) and will now become an annual event on the calendar.
There will also be a number of interactive workshops for children and families which will focus on traditional crafts and textiles.
A synchronised fireworks show with the playing of the Maltese national anthem will round off the day.
Full details can be found on the link Fuq il-Festa
By Albert Fenech salina46af@gmail.com
