Have you ever heard of the 400-year-old tale originating from the quaint village of Żebbuġ in Gozo?

The tale was recently beautifully commemorated through a newly launched jewellery collection by designer Daniel Formosa, which draws inspiration from L-Għażżiela.

About 400 years ago, nestled in the small village of Żebbuġ in Gozo, there lived a widowed woman with her five daughters. The village was their home, but their modest house stood exposed on its outskirts, lacking the shelter they so desperately needed.

It was during one fateful night of stormy rain and lightning that their lives took an extraordinary turn, as they family was terrified of such weather.

The following morning, as the storm subsided, the children excitedly recounted a shared dream to their mother. To their astonishment, the entire family had dreamt the same vivid vision. In their collective dream, lightning bolts sought entry into their vulnerable home, only to be repelled by a fiery ring adorned with a mysterious symbol.

Deeply intrigued, the mother thought a lot about the dream and together with her eldest daughter decided to go to the parish priest to recount the experience.

The priest gave them a piece of dough so that the girl could show him exactly what this symbol they saw was like. The priest quickly realised that the symbol inside the circle of fire that he was told about was nothing but M, the first letter of the name of Our Lady.

The priest is said to have taken this dream seriously, noting its significance, saying that Our Lady was the one who saved them from that night of fierce storm. So he took it upon himself and made many of these dough symbols and distributed them to the rest of the town, so that they too would be protected from the storm.

This custom over time continued to become a festival dedicated to Our Lady of the Beautiful. 

This festivities take place close to the first Sunday of October. In many houses, not only in Żebbug, you will find one of these Għażżiela, to protect the family from lightning.