9 Reasons The Maltese Are Basically Hobbits
Thanks to the magic of cinema, J.R.R. Tolkein’s masterpiece The Lord Of The Rings has reached millions of new, younger fans across the globe. But despite being an international phenomenon the Maltese have always felt a close tie to the movies – and that’s because us Maltese are essentially the protagonists (and no, we’re definitely not the elves). Here are nine examples of why the Maltese are essentially Hobbits:
1. We love to eat
“What about second breakfast” is a thought many of us have on a daily basis. We’ve probably never felt as well represented in film as when Samwise Gamgee spoke about his love for potatoes!
2. We have hairy toes
Deny it all you want friends, the Maltese have hair growing out of almost everywhere, and our toes are no exception!
3. We love fireworks
And, bar the people who make them, are always impressed by the displays. When you see the finer firework shows on the island, it’s hard to not believe there is some element of magic to them.
4. We don’t trust strangers
If I say the phrase “everyone knows everyone else’s business, and seeing strangers walk the streets makes the locals unhappy” – you have no way of telling whether I’m referring to The Shire or one of Malta’s smaller villages.
5. We love shiny things
We’ve had quite a few occasions where politicians have forsaken that whole ‘greater good’ shtick, and gone down the “my precious” route instead.
6. We’re kinda small
Sure, we’ve grown significantly in the past 100 years, but walking through any Northern European city will remind us exactly where we stand in the global averages.
7. We know how to have a good time
So the elves are beautiful, and the dwarves are strong – have you ever seen characters as happy as the Hobbits? No! Pint drinking, pipe smoking, line dancing fun is what the Hobbits (and the Maltese) love best.
8. We don’t mind some adventures, but there’s no place like home.
“There and back again, a Maltese person’s journey to Sicily’s monti”. Travelling is great, but who can honestly say they don’t miss Nanna‘s mqarrun (or Maxim’s pastizzi) while they’re away?
9. We’re as brave as they come and resilient AF
We’ve had many people try to take over our islands, and sure a couple of them succeeded, but we’ve stayed strong and fought back through incredibly tough times (all the while dreaming of going home and eating some frawli, just like dear old Sam did).