Carnival activities are over and, it’s almost needless to say, they were affected by inclement weather.

Our climate gives us mild winters – and this year it is even milder than the usual – and yet it seems that the Carnival days are always hit with the kind of weather that causes difficulties. Sometimes its strong winds, at other times it rains, and this year it even hailed too. Irrespective of the time when Carnival is held – it moves with the calendar depending on when Easter is celebrated by the Christian world and, therefore, the day when Lent starts – the weather is not kind.

One has to express sympathy and show admiration to the hundreds of Carnival enthusiasts who, in spite of these adversities, continue to show commitment and dedication to the festival of colour they prepare each year – not knowing whether their efforts will be rewarded. It is not the first time that floats were damaged or events were cancelled or delayed because of the weather.

There was a time when, in the 1970s, it was thought that postponing the Carnival events to May would have given participants more peace of mind. The Labour government of the time had pushed Carnival forward by three months, but this decision was reversed simply because traditionally Carnival is the time which precedes the start of Lent.

It originated as a period of fun and frolic before a period of sacrifice and, although times have changed and the 40 days of Lent are no longer what they used to be not so long ago, Carnival’s slot is before Ash Wednesday in the normal scheme of things.

After all, as the etymology of the word Carnival indicates, it is the period where meat could be consumed before the start of the 40 days of Lent when, if one were to follow Catholic teachings, consuming no meat was part of the sacrifice between Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Each year, when enthusiasts show their dismay that all their hard work and the hours they dedicate in preparation literally go down the drain, we hear politicians speak about the need to provide more support to the Carnival participants. In more recent years, the Labour government promised a Carnival village – but this has not materialised yet. It is an electoral pledge – which Labour made as far back as 2013 – that the Labour government has yet to fulfil.

In the days prior to the Carnival events, the Nationalist Party accused the government of mistreating Carnival participants, saying that the idea of a Carnival Village has remained a fantasy. For its part, the government said that it is “in the process” of applying for EU funds. How long is this “process” going to take? Nearly 11 years have passed since Labour was elected to government, and we are still “in the process” of applying for the necessary funding.

And each year ad hoc decisions need to be taken to protect the work of the enthusiasts. This year, for example, the floats were parked beneath the bastions at St James rather than the Granaries – but this inevitably disrupted public transport, since St James Ditch accommodates the bus terminus, which had to be temporarily moved to Floriana between Saturday and Tuesday.

Each year, Carnival enthusiasts face the same problem. Each year, they are promised that their complaints will be seen to. But, each year, their struggles continue.