Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/460957
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2015 News Valletta in festive mood MATTHEW AGIUS VALLETTA basked in an atmosphere of good-natured fun yesterday, as the capital marked the feast of St Paul's Shipwreck with band marches, beer and shredded paper under a mainly clear but cold sky. Lots of shredded paper The weather held, much to the relief of feast enthusiasts, allowing tourists and city residents to throng the capital's nar- row streets and mix together for the an- nual celebration marking the arrival of St Paul the Apostle in Malta in 60 AD. Earlier in the day, members of parlia- ment from both sides of the house attend- ed a Mass at St Paul's Shipwreck Church, celebrated by Apostolic Administrator Charles Scicluna. Outside, once the band started to play, it was only a matter of minutes before St Paul Street was coated in a thick layer of shredded paper flakes, descending in a seemingly unending stream from balco- nies lining the route – much to the delight of the many children who were throwing handfuls of the paper at each other and at passers-by, journalists included. Tourists from the USA, Denmark, Ire- land, UK and the Far East were also clear- ly enjoying the congenial atmosphere and the fair, if chilly, weather. "We've never seen anything like this before," giggled two girls from Belfast, clearly enjoying themselves. One young man from Sweden was im- pressed at the scale of the celebrations. "It's really big. I've never seen anything like this," he said. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD PN deputy leader Mario De Marco (centre) observes the Pauline proceedings in his constituency