A burning question – are we Maltese, alcoholics?
Modern living means modern changing. When I was a boy many, many years ago, facts and events were facts and events and not liable to changes because that was tradition and what our forefathers had to do, we had to follow in their footsteps. To suggest changes was the height of cheek and youthful ignorance.
Two analyses of modern living this week surprised me totally. The first was that a survey established that L-Imnarja is today no longer an attraction to youths and the second that per person in Malta and Gozo we are estimated to each drink 400 small cans of beer annually!
The consumption of alcohol in Malta and throughout the Mediterranean is no great surprise. This area is riddled with festivities and all are enjoyed to the full and the report of strong bubbly and celebration parties is present throughout the year and is therefore no surprise although the actual analysis consumption per annum per head is somewhat alarming!
The result survey quoted “small beer cans” as an indication of volume but it was also strongly pointed out these are not strictly related to beer only but also to all alcohols including whisky, gin, vodka etc.
L-Imnarja is totally a different matter in Malta.
Almost all celebration festivities in Malta and Gozo are linked to religious roots like Christmas, Easter, Births, parish feasts, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, births, etc are all religiously linked.
L-Imnarja based on the feast day of St Peter and St Paul on 29th June has very little religious content but on the day – last Sunday – it is a Day of the People – and the religious element is minimal.
For centuries the celebration has been folk-oriented. HOWEVER figures show last Sunday it was virtually ignored and this was a counter-revolution of a day which has always tipped the enjoyment classification figures.
Why – when particularly in days of yore it was an unclassified vow by the groom to the bride that annually he would take her to enjoy L-Imnarja at Buskett Gardens?
Times and tastes change and this has drastically happened here where folk singing and dancing and a traditional rabbit fry-up were paramount but today hardly feature at all.
Approaching this coming weekend is the Farsons Beer Festival organised at the Ta’ Qali open-air public gardens. The Festival offers a promising ten days of best and international award-winning beers.
It began yesterday, Thursday and will last to 12th July.
This has been an annual event organised since in 1981 by the esteemed local brewer Farsons who has been manufacturing and distributing beers since 1928. Their most popular product is Cisk Lager, a golden-coloured lager which has won many prestigious international awards and is the lager very loved by the Maltese.
Professional beer experts assert that lager is not a beer nor an ale because lager is lager. In Malta however, this is treated as a beer.
An array of about 50 local and international artists will entertain all evenings on two stages. One finds food stalls with a variety of foods for all tastes. The Festival provides entertainment to all family members and is a safe place with free entrance to all.
Now in its 43rd edition, this 10-night outdoor extravaganza is the island’s largest music event and enables you to immerse yourself in a vibrant atmosphere brimming with the finest musicians, artists and bands while sampling a diverse array of award-winning locally brewed and imported beers.
Each year, the Festival offers a limited-edition official mug, available exclusively at the event, along with branded reusable cups to help minimise plastic waste.
The Farsons Beer Festival has something for everyone, with a variety of themed areas, including the Main Stage, Rock Stage, Pjazza Aperitivo, Casa Electronica, an Artisan Market, a Kids Area and a food court. The official Festival beer mug is now a firm collector’s item,
Admission is free, with no tickets required for entry. Bars open at 8 pm, Main Stage, Rock Stage and Pjazza Aperitivo start at 9 pm, Casa Electronica starts at 10 pm.
A full programme of all performances with timings is available www.farsonsbeerfestival.com
Albert Fenech
salina46af@gmail.com
