Malta’s Popular Santa Marija Holiday Is Coming, And Here’s How You Can Celebrate Properly
Holiday time! Wednesday sees one of Malta’s most popular public holidays return. For some it’s a great excuse not to get up early for work. For others, it’s a good old day at the beach. For many more, it’s time for the annual pilgrimage to farmhouses and BBQs in Gozo.
The 15th of August marks the feast of the Assumption of Mary, which pretty much means that day that Jesus’ mother rose, body and soul, into heaven.
Apart from all that, we also really dig Santa Marija because during the second world war, the country was literally starving until lo’ and behold – The Santa Marija Convoy entered our ports exactly on the day and saved us all from a slow and agonising death.
In between the summer heat and the historical significance, Santa Marija is the mother of all feasts here in Malta, so there will be a number of commemorative activities all over our islands to celebrate it. Here’s a list of things you can do to be a part of the celebrations.
1. Feasts
There will be a number of feasts in villages around the island. A great excuse to stuff your face with amazing food and watch cool fireworks in the most Maltese atmosphere ever known to mankind, feasts are always a winner.
The towns which celebrate this feast are Mqabba, Qrenti, Mosta, Gudja, Attard, Għaxaq, Birkirkara, Żebbuġ’s Ħal Muxi and Gozo’s very own capital Victoria.
Mqabba holds a really cool fireworks display in sync with music on the day. Firework enthusiasts gather in this tiny village which is always adorned in the loveliest of ways for this special occasion.
These guys party hard, and the celebration will go on for almost a whole month, so brace yourselves and check out their programme here.
Mosta also celebrates this feast with a literal bang. These guys go all out when it comes to firework displays and are said to b among the best on our islands. The Mosta celebrations can be followed on their page.
The Mosta feast is one of the most anticipated feast yearly, putting up amazing shows for all those who visit.
2. A special day party in Sliema
The guys from A Little Crush are hosting a seaside event for a lovely day by the beach at Surfside. This gathering is for all those who just want to wind down and listen to music.
Kicking off at 3pm and going on till late, the party has free entrance and will have food and drinks constantly up on offer. What more could you ask for?
3. A fancy Santa Marija dinner
If you’re more of a fancy glutton, you could attend a fancy dinner at the de Mondion Restaurant. They will be serving a set menu for the occasion.
An ideal treat for all those who would like to experience some fine dining along with firework displays.
4. Spend the day celebrating in Gozo
Traditionally, thousands of Maltese people flock to Gozo to take advantage of the long weekend. Apart from having most of the mainland visiting the tiny sister island for the weekend, these guys also celebrate the feast in style in the capital.
This year, these guys will be getting Għaxaq’s Għaqda Mużikali San Ġużepp to play at the feast. Apart from all this, you could also spend the day by the beach or scoffing your face with Gozitan food. Either or, you will have a great day.
BONUS: Take advantage of free museum visits
If you’re a bit of a history buff, On this day Heritage Malta’s sites at the Ċittadella in Gozo will be open to the public for free.
That means that between 9.00 and 17.00 you can visit the Gran Castello Historic House, the Gozo Museum of Archaeology, the Old Prison, the Gozo Nature Museum and the Ċittadella Visitors’ Centre.
Do you know anyone who would like to celebrate Santa Marija? Tag them in the comments below
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