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10 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 3 JULY 2026 CULTURE Festa! A Summer Spent in THERE is no Gozitan summer without feasts. Indeed, the sum- mer feast, or festa, held in differ- ent towns and around Gozo is the peak of authentic communi- ty life: the sharing of high spir- its and the creation of a vibrant atmosphere as the village cele- brates its patron saint. As village squares become noisier with the festive fervour of the crowds and the jubilant marches of brass bands, lavishly decorated with flags, standards, and illuminat- ed festoons, one cannot help but mingle with the crowd and, if not join directly, absorb the in- fectious energy and spectacle of the days. The colourful village feasts are not meant to be a showcase but a genuine expression of celebra- tion in honour of the saint the villagers venerate. The feast in the summer season, which might or might not fall on the liturgi- cal feast day, is originally meant as a special thanks and a sign of filial devotion. Beyond the deep-rooted faith, villages de- veloped traditions that fostered the festive spirit, and today every village offers a unique three-day (or more!) window to experience Gozo's culture at its finest. All feasts originate in the church. The shrines become a centre of anticipation. Rich dam- ask drapery adorns the walls. Silver candelabra, treasured or- naments, and the church's most elaborate vestments are dis- played for the occasion. Liturgi- cal services are enhanced by sa- cred music, specially composed and performed by orchestra and choirs. Renowned local so- loists contribute to the majestic church atmosphere. Gozo feasts are kept alive through the dedication of var- ious community voluntary groups, organised with the orig- inal aim of supporting the feast. One such group is the village group, responsible for the elab- orate street decorations that transform village cores into the- atrical displays of colour and light, while youth groups are typically in charge of celebra- tory gatherings and the revelry that animates the evenings. Even the brass bands were historically founded as celebratory groups around feasts. Throughout the streets, pri- vate homes sprout their own festooned flag masts, proudly displaying colours with symbol- ic meanings. Towns celebrat- ing martyred saints are typical- ly awash in red, while Marian feasts, distinguished by shades of blue, create a visual identity immediately recognisable under Gozo's summer sky. The celebrations extend well beyond the church square. Every village will host a traditional vil- lage dinner, open even to visi- tors, often unfolding along the main streets or in the square. Tables are set beneath illuminat- ed festoons to create a warm, au- thentic communal atmosphere, often accompanied by live music and entertainment. Together, these traditions create an atmosphere that can- not be artificially replicated, a unique blend of confetti, chants, marching bands, solemn hymns, laughter, and even tongue-in- cheek jabs aimed at neighbour- ing villages. Gozitan festas are, above all, family festivals, where popcorn stalls, ice-cream vans, and street-food vendors them- selves become part of the specta- cle. Even the village restaurants will often adapt their menus and rhythms to accommodate the extraordinary influx of visitors and celebrants. By the time these lines appear, the Gozo festa season is already in full swing, and the first wave of feasts has come and gone. The season would ordinarily have opened at the end of May with the feast of St. Paul in Munxar, one of the smallest villages on the island, a feast that epitomises the spirit of a small community that comes together to celebrate one of Malta's patron saints. This year, however, the Munxar feast has exceptionally been moved to the 13th of September, so the season opened instead in the rural village of Għasri at the be- ginning of June. With a number of residents barely reaching 500, Għasri's feast of Corpus Christi retained the vibe of a tradition- al feast, where unity and faith peaked during the procession with the titular Statue of Christ the Eucharistic Redeemer on the Sunday evening. Għasri was followed by the feast of the Sa- cred Heart of Jesus in Fontana. Although another small locality on the outskirts of the town of Victoria, the community at Fon- tana pulled together a feast com- plete with church services, band marches, and processions. From these intimate, quieter village feasts, Gozo shifted into large-scale, vibrant festa mode on the third weekend of June, with the feast of St. John the Religious Festa, Victoria (Photo: Ted Attard)