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Easter & Holy Week in Malta
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Being a devout Christian country, the Holy Week leading to Easter is very Holy and important time in Maltese yearly calendar with the main focus being on the religious aspect of the events.
Processions detailing the passion, death and resurrection of Christ start on Friday prior to Good Friday with the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Most parishes in Malta have processions carrying the statue of Our Lady through the narrow streets of their towns and villages.
Solemn ceremonies are held in all the parishes and churches in Malta on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
The Holy Week commemorations reach their peak on Good Friday with processions taking place in Birgu, Bormla, Ghaxaq, Luqa, Mosta, Naxxar, Paola, Qormi, Rabat, Senglea, Valletta, Zebbug and Zejtun. Processions in Gozo are held in Nadur, Victoria (St. George and Cathedral), Xaghra and Zebbug.
The Good Friday processions depict the entire Passion of Christ with several statues representing different stages of The Passion being carried by the faithful. These are usually followed by men carrying large crosses or dragging chains with their feet as a sign of humility.
Another tradition that is held in some parishes in Malta & Gozo and should not be missed is the display of the traditional Last Supper table which shows the various courses of the Seder meal.
Easter Sunday being a joyous occasion has a different kind of procession. The faithful usually run with the Statue of the Risen Christ round the same narrow streets that a couple of days earlier the Good Friday procession would have wind through.
Food Tradition:
Traditional Maltese Lenten sweets include the 'kwarezimal' which are made with almond fillings and the 'karamelli tal-harrub' made from carob leaves these are usually sold at various stalls around the village squares during the Good Friday processions.
As most Maltese fast and abstain from meat on Good Friday, Easter Sunday brings with it a feast for chocolate lovers and the traditional 'figolli'. Figolli are pastries filled with almond and come in different shapes and are usually covered with icing and an Easter Egg in the middle.
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