CELEBRATING THE FEAST OF SANTA MARIJA In thi s editi on of O h M y M a l ta , we ta ke a c lo s e r lo o k a t Ma lt a ’s F e a s t o f S a n t a Ma r ija , a nd d is c u s s th e hi s tor i ca l a n d m od e r n s i g n i fi ca n ce o f t h e c o u n t r y ’s m o s t c e le b ra t e d re lig io us f e s t iva l
Word s by Ja m e s C umming s
This August, Malta celebrates the Feast of Santa Marija, an important occasion in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox calendars, and a thriving cultural celebration across Malta and Gozo. Taking place in early to mid-August and also known as the Feast of Our Lady of Assumption, the festival reaches its climax on 15 August and celebrates the ascension of the Virgin Mary to heaven. Known to Eastern Orthodox practitioners as the Dormition — or, “falling asleep”, signifying Mary’s peaceful ascension to heaven — of the Mother of God, the Feast of Santa Marija holds special significance in the Christian tradition, and especially so in Malta. Not confined to a purely religious affair, the feast is marked by a public holiday across the Maltese islands, this year falling on the third Monday in August. As a country with a long and established history of Christianity, Malta’s devotion to this particular feast remains strong to this day, with many towns and cities across the archipelago going to considerable lengths to celebrate a day which marks the closing
16 OH MY MALTA
