The Feast of St Peter & St
Paul in Nadur by
Pierre J Mejlak
The
Feast of St Peter & St Paul in Nadur
One of Gozo's most spectacular feasts is celebrated on June 29th in Nadur.
Thousands of people gather in the main streets of Gozo's biggest village
and celebrate the feast of St Peter and St Paul.
Official celebrations start
a week before the actual feast day. Band marches and activities targeted
for all sections of society make up a very busy week prior to the big
day. Wherever you are in Nadur, you can notice foreign flags flying on
top of private houses. The US, Canadian, Australian and British flags
clearly highlight Western ties and show signs of returning immigrants.
Nadur is indeed one of the most localities in Malta with a long tradition
of immigration.
However, let's go back to the
year 1688 when it was decreed that the east of Gozo an area comprising
Nadur, Qala, Ghajnsielem, Imgarr and Comino island would become a parish.
All together they had a population of around 400. The Historic shrine
of the Immaculate Conception at Qala was to serve as parish church temporarily
while immediately work commenced to build a bigger church on Nadur Hill
which was therefore to make Nadur one of Gozo's first and proudest parishes.
The
titular statue of St. Peter and St. Paul was made in Marseilles in 1882.
The Church is also endowed by wonderful frescoes, including works of Lazzarus
Pisani. A beautiful painting near the main altar is attributed to the
school of Mattia Preti. This Nadur Basilica also boasts of 33 stained
glass windows, an onyx presbyter and a fascinating pulpit with carved
bronze images.
In the first days of June the
streets of Nadur start to undergo a big transformation. The festa decorations
in Nadur attract a lot of enthusiasts from all over Malta. It is interesting
to note that for every street in Nadur there is a committee responsible
for its feast-decorations!
Children,
youths, elderly, families, emigrants, people with disabilities, organisations…
they all have their special day throughout the novena (nine days preceding
the feast). The celebrations reach their peak on feast day, when the statue
of St Peter and St Paul is devotedly carried around Nadur.
The Nadur youngsters are renowned
for their enthusiasm. Gozo and Maltese bands could be seen playing in
Nadur from mid-June onwards! The traditional feast-morning march highlights
the peak of all festa enthusiasm.
The
Feast of St Peter & St Paul in Nadur
The
titular statue of St. Peter and St. Paul was made in Marseilles in 1882.
The Church is also endowed by wonderful frescoes, including works of Lazzarus
Pisani. A beautiful painting near the main altar is attributed to the
school of Mattia Preti. This Nadur Basilica also boasts of 33 stained
glass windows, an onyx presbyter and a fascinating pulpit with carved
bronze images.
Children,
youths, elderly, families, emigrants, people with disabilities, organisations…
they all have their special day throughout the novena (nine days preceding
the feast). The celebrations reach their peak on feast day, when the statue
of St Peter and St Paul is devotedly carried around Nadur.