Churches in Malta and Gozo dominate the
skyline. Domes and steeples can usually be seen from many kilometres away.
The dominance is not only present from the point of view of architecture
but on a social level too.
The Religious feast or the
Festa is the word which implies the transformation of a town or village.
The streets will become adorned with flowers, flags, statues, bulbs, lavishly
decorated cloth banners and what have you. Activity is the order of the
day as many people will be seen working at odd hours or under a scorching
sun in order to do all the necessary works for the village festa. People
are ready to go at great lengths in order to celebrate the festa in a
special way.
The feast is becoming more
demanding year in year out as parishes compete in order to produce the
best feast on the island. It's a yearly custom that each year the commission
responsible for external celebrations collects a considerable sum of money
in order to add a statue or some flags or tapestries to the already rich
heritage in the parish.
Nowadays celebrations start
nine days before the actual feast day. During these nine days there are
several and different celebrations taking place: band marches and other
musical performances are organized in the streets; special days are organized
in the church's building to cater for different age-groups or different
religious groups working in the parish.
