It is that time of the year when our towns and villages turn on their ‘festa’ mode. A metamorphosis of colour, street lighting, decorations, fireworks, marching bands, decorated churches and processions, along with hundreds of people gathering in noisy streets in one great celebration. It is a memorable experience of food, drink, music and fanfare.
The list published by the Curia shows that, between June and September, the churches and parishes in Malta and Gozo celebrate more than 90 feasts in honour of the village saint.
The Maltese festa has undoubtedly morphed into an important element of Maltese identity. Nowadays, village feasts have become much more than a religious celebration, and definitely a major tourist attraction. Those who visit Malta are always struck by these multi-faceted customs, since they would not have experienced such manifestations anywhere else in the world. Village feasts are intrinsically linked with Maltese culture and history.
Due to its exceptional value I believe it is high time we afforded the village festa the same level of government support and protection which we give to our tangible cultural heritage. This should aim to promote and foster creativity, artistic creations and cultural activities; and protect knowledge, practices and traditions. It should also enable the development of individuals and organisations, and Maltese society in general.
Village feasts have evolved over time into a wide combination of different characteristics, making each festa unique on its own merit. However, one common ingredient that has remained constant throughout the years, and which is crucial to all feasts, is voluntary work. Without the armies of volunteers who work tirelessly all year long, there would be no festa. The amount of work and dedication required to organise a Maltese festa is something that cannot easily be quantified or costed.
Fireworks enthusiasts for instance, start planning and preparing for the following year’s display from the day after the feast. They have become vastly proficient in their work, most of them with a sound knowledge of chemistry and engineering, constantly researching new techniques and adopting new technologies. All of this is done for no personal financial gain, purely out of passion for the trade and their festa. Firework displays have become huge crowd-pullers and great marketing feats. There is no tourist publication or production that does not show off their creations, which have become works of art.
What about band clubs? It takes a lot of effort and resources to keep a musical society active. The commitment and dedication required by members, the logistics behind each band activity, the money needed to buy new musical instruments and restore older ones, and the headaches in organising fund raising activities, are all part and parcel of our festa. This work happens in the background with little or no recognition. Maltese band clubs have their roots in the middle ages tradition of playing music during feasts and processions, with some musical societies having been established centuries ago. Band clubs retain the original vocation and founding principle of giving music lessons to young aspiring musicians free. Most notable Maltese musicians and composers have a local band club background. I believe it our duty to foster and assist band clubs, and work to strengthen these societies. The recent initiative by the Malta Arts Council in collaboration with the the Malta Bands Clubs Association for the recognition and promotion of the work performed by Band Clubs was a breath of fresh air. Via this initiative band clubs will be given financial assistance for the restoration of items within their premises and to improve their operational work.
Last April the UNESCO Convention on the protection of intangible cultural heritage was ratified by Parliament. This will allow aspects of Maltese culture, such as the village festa, the possibility to benefit from UNESCO recognition as part of global cultural heritage. This convention provides a system whereby intangible heritage is monitored, especially endangered elements. The government intends to have the village festa recognised as UNESCO cultural heritage. This would entail an annual obligation to submit a detailed inventory of such intangible heritage.
Moreover, there would also be the responsibility to take immediate action to preserve those customs that are at risk of being lost. This would, unquestionably, be a big step forward in protecting our festa as we know it. Each society should value and cherish its customs and traditions. We also have an obligation to protect and preserve them for future generations. It is these elements such as the festa that give us a distinct cultural identity, that distinguish us from other nations. 2018 happens to be the European Year for Cultural Heritage. This would be an ideal platform to showcase the village festa.
Malta’s progress and increased internationalisation has surely impacted our attitude towards the festa. I believe it is becoming increasingly important for the government to find ways and means to safeguard the village festa, assist in its sustainability, and ascertain its protection for posterity. I do not mean that the festa should somehow become dependent on government help, as this would actually be killing the spirit of it. On the contrary, government intervention should aim at increasing public awareness of the importance and relevance of the festa as an integral part of what makes us Maltese. It is only collectively that we can ensure the fostering of the festa. The UNESCO Convention stresses the ‘need to build greater awareness, especially among the younger generations, of the importance of the intangible cultural heritage and of its safeguarding’. Any loss in the elements that constitute the festa would diminish the right of future generations to its enjoyment. If we are to preserve our cultural legacy, we must act now.