Festa in Malta

 

                It's Festa time in Malta...

                           And I Hate it

 

                       Manwel Dimech Street Looking Good for the Festa

                                   (Photo by Richard Weninger)

Imagine it's early morning on Sunday. The sky is clear blue, it's 80 degrees F.,and low humidity, you're lying on a lounge chair on  your roof surrounded by beautiful plants--and then a bomb goes off that makes you fall off the lounge chair. 

Afghanistan?

No, it's Malta. Just another lazy summer Sunday in Malta during festa.

OK, so I'm a foreigner and I'll never fully appreciate the festa in Malta.  Festa is a traditional religious celebration that occurs in the church district of each town in Malta.  Each town may have three or four churches and each has its own festa, if I'm correct.

There's a very nice aspect to festa.  Each church has its own patron saint and the statue of the saint is carried around in a parade throughout the town.  Bands accompany the statue in its procession, followed by children marching along.  And people throw confetti out their windows.   (People also drink and throw beer cans all over the streets, but that's another story--or post.)  The streets are decorated with all kinds of streamers, banners and lights.  It's pretty.  And there are fireworks.

But here's the part I hate.

For some reason these bomb-like devices are set off throughout the day and night.  These are not your regular fireworks; they have no color.  They just make a terrible loud sound that can come at anytime and last for hours. 

They are known as petards, which, according to Wikipedia, were small bombs used to blow up gates and walls when breaching fortifications. The term has a French origin and dates back to the sixteenth century.  And that's where I wished they stayed.

If these petards are set off close to your house, you will startle when they go off--each and every time. It's not the kind of noise you get used to (except for maybe the ones that go off in a faraway town).

It literally sounds like an explosion or bomb.  No one likes them--not even most of the Maltese. Children cry, dogs cower and whine, the elderly wince, tourists hold their ears and say they're never coming back--and I swear at them.   My neighbor Carmen says she and a lot of other residents told the local council that if they continue with the petards, the residents of Sliema are not going to pay for the rest of the celebration.  Apparently, it didn't work. 

Those bombs ruined my day today.  I don't get it; I just don't get it--if nobody wants them, who and why keeps setting them off?

 

 

Comments

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi David,thanks for your colorful comment. Couldn't have said it better myself--Ilene

[David]

they are fucking sick!!!!! I live in Malta and it is incredibily stupid!!!! Fuck them all and their petards!!!!

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi Joe, thanks a lot for your excellent suggestion. But guess what--I already do that--and that's all we talk about now: Paceville. Yes, I've done the scene. Once, when my daughters were here from the US, they got very mad at me over something and took me to Paceville to punish me--Ilene

[Joe Arevalo]

Illene, sounds like your students have discovered the hidden reason to study in Malta. Much more fun to party at night than to sizzle in an English class when one could be resting for another night of excitement. Have you done the scene? Maybe you could get them to talk about Paceville in English. Weave into the class. ~Joe

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Welcome, Donna! I couldn't have said it better myself. So far, the Maltese have told me that the Americans are perfect ;-)---Ilene

[Donna Gibbs]

Amen, sister! I'm another American who just moved to Malta...I live right next to the "big bombs" that were going off all weekend in Marsamxett Harbour. The fireworks at night are quite beautiful and festive...but those explosively loud bombs all day just create too much noise and air pollution, not to mention frayed nerves. Malta is a charming place and I'm blessed to be here, but that bit of Maltese culture I will never like, and I'm sure there is much about American culture that the Maltese would dislike!

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi Dee, the festas last all through the summer. But it's quiet today in Sliema. Hopefully, there won't be many more here in this town---Ilene

[Dee Owen]

Thats too bad, having your day off ruined by bombs. How many days do these festas last?

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi Mary, I don't know if they're set off by the insane, but I am ending up insane from them. Thanks for your suggestion, but I can't leave during the summer because that's when most of the EFL teaching occurs. And except for the bombs, I love Malta in the summer. Want to visit? Bring some major earplugs.

Hey Joe, thanks for your comment. I read the letters and I'm laughing; that's my favorite part of The Times. Class are like this: The two bad boys from France left finally. Today no one showed up for the class except a new girl from France who is very nice but who can hardly utter a word in English. And I'm supposed to prepare her for a proficiency exam. I don't get it. Do you???----Ilene

[Joe Arevalo]

Welcome to Malta. You're not alone to complain about the petards. The matter of feasts is topic of discussion with or without the petards. Here are some recent comments by Maltese. Ilene, you will be happy to know that you are starting to sound like a local. BTW, how are classes? http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090511/local/president-to-discuss-feasts-with-parish-priests

[Mary Bartolotta]

Maybe they're being set off by people in the insane asylum or by those who can't hear or by all the Maltese who don't want all the tourists coming back and settling in Malta. No other explanation. Sorry.
Suggestion: next year go on vacation to another country during Festa, if your nerves aren't completely shot by then and you end up being one of the insane who plays with the petards. Chillax.