Culture

Malta Carnival Celebrations

Carnival in Malta is an important event on the religious calendar, and follows the traditional Catholic Carnival celebration, which literally translated means ‘Meat is allowed’. Fasting during this period is still practised relatively widely by the Maltese, with many avoiding meat and sweats and least on Wednesdays and Fridays. The five Carnival celebration days are [...]

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A typical Malta bus in its present day livery

The Malta Bus

Maltese buses are well known abroad, loved by tourists for the antique types of single decker buses driving around the islands. With the majority of the fleet classified as antique, tourists often marvel at the fact that these vehicles are still in operating condition, whereas the Maltese bemoan their very existence. Being the only mode [...]

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Example of a restored farmhouse in Malta

The Maltese farmhouse through the centuries

Nowhere is the Maltese idiom more beautifully expressed than in the wonder walls of its farmhouses. Dream houses are usually just that: far and away, but if you wander down the winding village roads which usually follow the original field paths, and if you squint and look closely behind the trees and outcrops, you will [...]

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Typical Maltese bread, or hobz

Maltese Bread – a Tradition

No mention of Maltese food is complete without a reference to the local Maltese bread, and more specifically the popular loaf called tal-Malti (literally, “of the Maltese”). Very crusty on the outside, yet soft on the inside, many visitors and the Maltese alike find the combination of taste and texture of fresh Maltese bread irresistible. Indeed, [...]

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The face of a typical Luzzu boat

Maltese boats – the Luzzu and the Dghajsa

Until a short time ago our justifiably famous Valletta Grand Harbour, so often the scene of the madness of war and the courage of men, was almost crowded with hundreds of boats and water taxis, which plied the harbour creeks on both sides of Valletta. These were largely used to ferry passengers, especially sailors, from [...]

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Malta band clubs and band marches

Band clubs in Malta are part and parcel of the social and cultural history of the Maltese islands and have, along the years, established themselves as an institution in the core of every town and village, aimed at spreading Maltese culture and teaching of music. Many musicians who have gone on to make a name [...]

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Procession on Good Friday in Malta

Good Friday processions in Malta

During Good Friday Processions, Malta’s streets are transformed into open-air theatres that celebrate the cycle of suffering, death and resurrection. Every year on Good Friday, Christians commemorate the death of Jesus Christ. His resurrection three days later is the Church’s greatest feast and, for believers, the defining moment of their faith. For the Maltese, no other [...]

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