Traditions of Valletta
A fortress capital of Malta, whose village festas, with fireworks and brass bands, honour saints each summer.
Valletta is a walled city on a peninsula, built by the Knights of St John in the sixteenth century. Maltese life is organised around the parish, and each village holds an annual festa for its patron saint, with decorations, fireworks, band marches and processions of the saint's statue.
The festa
In the weeks before a festa, streets are hung with banners and lit with lights, and rival brass bands play. On the day, the saint's statue is carried through the streets amid fireworks, after a solemn mass. Good Friday sees processions of life-size statues, and Carnival, Karnival, is held in February.
At the table
Pastizzi, flaky pastries of ricotta or peas, are sold at kiosks, and ftira, a ring of bread with toppings, is a snack. Stuffat tal-fenek, rabbit stew, is the national dish. Imqaret, date-filled pastries, and Kinnie, a bitter-orange drink, are local. Figolli, almond cakes, are made at Easter.
Signature traditions of Valletta
Also part of it, and being written: Pastizzi (The pastries.), Maltese cuisine (The rabbit stew.), Għana (The sung poetry.).
A trail idea for Valletta
- Upper Barrakka Gardens See the harbour.
- Is-Suq tal-Belt Visit the market.
- St John's Co-Cathedral See the interior.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Holy Week: Anonymous ( Maasland ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Maltese Carnival: Ronny Siegel, CC BY 3.0, source