It is hard to imagine Malta without village feasts.

They are part and parcel of our culture, and although interest in all that is religious continues to dwindle year after year, village feasts still attract the hundreds and thousands, even though it cannot be said that many of those hundreds and thousands are still practising Catholics.

This is because village feasts are not only religious, but have grown to become another chance of entertainment and offers the possibility to meet long-lost friends. They have become more of a social event, rather than a religious one. Many who have left the village or town they were born in return during the festa week; others who live abroad make it a point to programme their Malta holiday to coincide with the celebrations of the patron saint.

But, apart from the loss of religiosity in our feasts which is something that the Church needs to tackle, there are other issues linked to the celebrations which have created controversy over the past years. And, although we do discuss them, little seems to change, if anything at all.

The first major issue is, of course, fireworks. Most of us do enjoy the colourful displays – both the aerial ones and the Catherine wheels on the ground – but then most of us do not like the noisy bangs which jolt us wherever we are each time they are let off. It is a question of noise pollution, and it is also a question of respect to the sick, elderly and children, not to mention animals, which needs to be addressed.

Should we still have these loud bangs starting early in the morning and finishing off late at late just for the sake of making some noise?

The question of fireworks brings with it another issue – that of traffic which, as we all know, has become a serious matter in the last few years. The police are issuing permits to close off arterial roads for fireworks to be let off in certain areas, and this naturally brings with it the need to find alternative routes.

Added to this, the cores of towns and villages are closed off on the eve of the feast and on the feast day itself to allow for easier movement of people. But, while this practice does not have an impact on the rest of population in localities which are cut off from the rest of the island, it does have a negative effect on the traffic flow in places which serve as connections between localities.

Should we still close off towns and villages where feasts are taking place? Should we still close off arterial roads to allow for fireworks?

There’s another worrying situation which seems to be escaping the authorities’ attention. This is the abuse of alcohol during feasts. It is often the case that men and women are seen wobbling in the streets as a result of too much drinking. It is often the case that underage people are seen with whisky or beer in their hands. Inebriated people do not behave like people in full control of their senses, and this often leads to situations that could become dangerous.

Should the police continue to close an eye to this?