Seven parishes celebrate the Feast of St Mary (or Santa Maria / Santa Marija, depending on whether you opt for the English, Italian or Maltese version – all are used interchangeably such is our language question).
We’re posting this to wish what seems like half the islands’ population happy festa! Four parishes are in good earshot of our office tonight. The bangs and booms are constant. In fact, an eighth parish has a St Mary feast: Birkirkara. It wisely decided to shift it to next weekend, perhaps to save our eardrums or allow some traffic to cross the centre of Malta without more ‘no go’ zones.
The photo, kindly reproduced from Ian Davies‘ stream on our Flickr group, is the Madonna at her most peaceful and pious. Ironic then that her feast sees Malta explode as if a war’s going on.