Malta has a tradition of Festa (Feast) celebrations. Each week one or more Villages have a Festa. This consists of two weeks of fireworks 08:00 - 12:00 noon - 18:00 These consist of daylight fireworks or noise as there is little to see. The first time I heard them, I jumped out of bed expecting the noise to be a real explosion.
For most of the summer adults and school kids work on the decorations, and for the last three weeks have been erecting them. I have taken a few shots of the village slowly being decorated and today, I walked around to take the final few shots for the #wednesdaywalk. This weekend sees the actual celebration.
This is a plinth at the end of the village outside the park I did last Wednesday's walk about, that will eventually have a statue on top of it.
The structure is wood and the hand painting is touched up or re-done each year.
The initial overheads on a road leaving the village square.
The village square is being decorated.
It looks like organised chaos at the moment but amidst this, a brass band is setting up to play.
The church has lights fixed to it for the Festa and were tested while I was there, so I got a quick snap to give an idea. Hopefully, on Sunday I can get a better shot.
So on my walk today I was able to see most things are complete except in the square itself.
The second fix overheads are complete on this street.
Remember the original plinth. Here it is with the statue on top. Sorry I chopped the head off. I was standing in the middle of the road with a bus heading my way. (Buses here take no prisoners.)The picture below shows the head properly.
Over the next few days, the fireworks will continue and bands, re-enactments etc will occur, followed by the major celebration on Sunday. After tonight the restaurants will close down and become street bars only. The statue of the Maria Bambino which is about 9 feet tall, will be paraded about the streets for hours with brass bands and marchers accompanying it.
When it arrives in the square it will be hoisted up a ramp onto a plinth which, is about 15 feet to the top. It always looks as if it will topple but it never does. The kids are singing and dancing as the statue comes back to the square, as they have done for the hours it has been paraded. It is quite a spectacle. Finally, a great fireworks display finishes off the evening. These are real fireworks that you can see, as it is around 02:00 in the morning. Tens of thousands of Euros go up in smoke. It's quite a spectacular display. Equally up to the standard of the Disney ones in Florida.
Well, that was my Wednesday walk today. The last part at least was done today, with the first parts over the last two weeks. I don't mind if I am disqualified for it being a multi Wednesday walk. I am happy to share the photographs as we get ready to party. I read somewhere that Malta celebrates well, but Gositans are absolutely crazy. Maybe it's true. Certainly, none of the restaurants will open until the end of next week.
As an aside, every village does the same every year. Every week a Festa is taking place somewhere on the islands of Gozo (that's here) and on Malta.
Hope you enjoy the pictures.
