Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1045682
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 31 OCTOBER 2018 4 NEWS LAURA CALLEJA HALLOWEEN in Malta has been on the rise in popularity over the last few years, and it seems like the island has well and truly embraced the tradi- tion with more people than ever getting into the spooky spirit. More than likely one of the reasons for Halloween's rise in popularity is the numer- ous films and TV series that showcase the holiday, specifi- cally American films and TV series where the holiday has been a time-honoured tradi- tion since the 1900s. Over time though, Hallow- een has slowly wedged its way into Maltese lives. Pamela D'emanuele, a resident of Swieqi, told MaltaToday, "Yes I dress up, I decorate my house, and we get dressed, and me and my kids trick or treat. It's my tradition now. I meet friends, who know they can come to my house to trick or treat as I put decorations out." Another Swieqi resident, Dominique Pace Vincenti, said, "My niece's birthday is on Halloween, so we normally do a Halloween party but usu- ally I don't bother no…I don't decorate my house, but I do dress up." For others though, Hallow- een just isn't part of Maltese culture, Anna Cremona from St Julian's said "It's not in the Maltese culture to celebrate Halloween, it's an American thing…I don't mind kids trick or treating but if they come to my door I won't give them anything, I won't treat them for sure." Despite mixed reviews, pop- ularity has grown for the holi- day over the last few years, so much so that local councils across the island have started taking part, seeming to have jumped on the bandwagon and embraced the holiday. Numerous councils have organised events on 31 Oc- tober, mostly geared towards a younger audience. Notably, one of the biggest community events on the island is run by the Pembroke Local Council. Originally organised by resi- dents, the event creates a safe space for children to 'trick or treat.' It caters for children between the ages of four to fourteen. The event starts off from Triq San Gorg Preca, at six o'clock this evening. Kevin Borg, Executive Sec- retary at the Pembroke Local Council told MaltaToday, "At first it was done as a sponta- neous gathering started by the residents of Pembroke in Triq San Gorg Preca, but slowly as it gained momen- tum the council decided to get involved to organise an event that offers a safe environment for kids to go door to door." Borg explained that during the event the surrounding streets will be closed off to ensure the safety of everyone participating. "People come from all over the island to attend, we've had buses full of people coming from the north and south," said Borg. Other local councils, such as the Naxxar local council, are also hosting an event targeted towards local children. The event includes karaoke, prac- tising penalties against Naxx- ar Lions goalkeepers, reading stories, treasure hunts and games. The event starts at 6pm at the playing field in Naxxar today. The Valletta Waterfront is also hosting an event today which will include Children's entertainment, outdoor games and other activities. It starts at 7pm and is complete- ly free. While most of the commu- nity-organised events are geared towards children, on Friday 2 November Herit- age Malta will be highlight- ing popular traditions and beliefs in the souls and the afterlife through "The Easter of Souls", an event which will include a traditional supper meal inspired by various com- munities in remembrance of the deceased. This year the emphasis will be on coccia, a wheat-based recipe con- sumed in Maltese churches in 1575. People who participate will also have the possibility of a sleep-over at either one of the seventeenth-century pris- on cells, or elsewhere within the Inquisitor's palace in Vit- toriosa. Pleasure & Leisure Ltd are seeking to employ a MECHANIC Duties include: Sea vessel engine maintenance and cleaning, going to sea with vessel captains, maintaining other vessels engines Send CV to Kristy on info@ohyeahmalta.com JAMES DEBONO THE height and massing of the 115-room hotel that will replace the Hunters Tower restaurant in Marsaxlokk has been deemed "acceptable" by the Planning Authority's direc- torate. The case officer working on the proposed project said the hotel will not visually intrude on the surrounding landscape when viewed from major view- points within Marsaxlokk Bay, and has recommended the ap- proval of the project. Although the hotel will rise above the seafront townscape, the case officer said this will not have a negative impact on views because it will not dominate the views from Xatt is-Sajjieda. A final decision on the project will be taken tomorrow. The hotel will consist of a basement car park for 36 cars, a ground floor and three over- lying floors, one of which is set back. The development is in line with the Marsaxlokk Inner Harbour Area Environment and Development Brief, which was approved in 2017. The Marsaxlokk Bay Lo- cal Plan Policy, announced in 2014, had identified the area owned by former Labour MP John Dalli for 'limited tourism- related ancillary facilities'. The Environment and Re- sources Authority has said the development will not have a negative impact on the adjacent Maghluq marshland, a Natura 2000 site. However, both the ERA and the PA's advisory panel on design issues (DAC) have ex- pressed concern with "the massing of the proposal", with the DAC recommending that the project be more in "keeping with the vernacular context of the Marsaxlokk seafront". Subsequently architects Ben- cini & Associates made a num- ber of changes to the proposed building through the use of arches and materials deemed more congruent with the sur- rounding building fabric – the earlier design made a more ex- tensive use of glass. But in its final report, the ERA said that together with other modern developments in the area the new hotel "will under- mine the traditional elements that distinguish the character of the Marsaxlokk bay area from other areas in the Maltese Islands." Although the latest design is considered "more sympathet- ic" to the traditional seafront buildings which also fall within Marsaxlokk's urban conserva- tion area, the hotel's rear and side elevations "will intrude up- on and jar with the surrounding rural landscape", the ERA said, while not objecting to the hotel. Marsaxlokk hotel no threat to views, says case officer The hotel's modern architecture will dominate the area Malta embraces Halloween