Gozo village feasts are celebrated every weekend but this year is an exceptional one. Gozo will be experiencing ten days of non stop village feasts celebrations starting with the village of Xewkija, Nadur and than Gharb.
These celebrations kicks off in the village of Xewkija honoring their patron saint, Saint John the Baptist. Many volunteers decorate the village centre and their streets with rich decorations that suits perfectly with their monumental church ‘The Rotunda’. Xewkija is mostly famous for their traditional march which is held every Thursday of the ‘festa’ week. During this popular march, hundreds of people show up to experience spectacular light and fireworks shows with the cherry on the cake being the large artistic umbrella. This rich enormous umbrella dominates again the village square during Sunday’s afternoon band march which also has its popularity.
Once Xewkija feast reaches its climax on Sunday evening, Nadur’s village starts celebrating in their own way. Apart from outstanding street decorations in the village of Nadur, one cannot ignore the famous Basilica dedicated to patrons, Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The 29th of June, a Public holiday, marks the feast of these two saints. Nadur’s Basilica is one of Gozo’s main attraction famous for remarkable paintings, marble works and its church decorations. With their perfect location, Nadur’s enthusiasts organises a fireworks show synchronised with music which is displayed on the eve of the main day of the feast. This one hour show resumes with traditional ground fireworks in the main square. The Sunday afternoon band march is also a popular one with the locals.
On day seven it is time for the community of Gharb to celebrate their village feast dedicated to the Visitation of Our Lady to Elizabeth. Gharb is one of the oldest and smallest villages in Gozo. Although small in size Gharb locals are well-known for their love and devotion to their patrons and one can distinguish their particular religious activities and celebrations. A colourful carpet made of fresh flowers and leave cuts is laid on the parvis of the parish church. This carpet called ‘The Infiorata’ was adopted from their twinned Italian village of Gerano and it is immensely popular with both locals and tourists.
Gozo village feasts continues…
A summer holiday in Gozo won’t be complete without a visit to one of these ‘festas’. They are celebrated every weekend and will resume until mid-September. Saint George and Santa Marija feasts are the ones most popular with the Maltese and foreigners and will be celebrated in a few weeks time. If you want to experience these events and a touch of Gozo’s local life, we can offer you the most affordable accomodation in Gozo.
Photos courtesy of: tvm.com.mt
