Heritage Malta is organising an event entitled ‘Experiencing l-Ghid tal-Erwieh’ (All Souls’ Day) at the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa on Friday, 6 November.

Participants will be introduced to the traditional celebration by two presentations by Heritage Malta head curator Kenneth Gambin. The first will deal with the Inquisition and the supernatural and the second is entitled “Devils and Saints, Invocations and Apparitions”. These will be followed by a themed supper consisting of kawlata (vegetable soup with pork), majjal il-forn (roast pork), ghadam tal-mejtin (a bone-shaped almond sweet), a selection of wine, and coffee. Interested participants can opt to spend the night in the 17th century prison, but should provide their own sleeping bags and torches.

L-Ghid tal-Erwieh, which is celebrated on 2 November, is the day when Christians remember the souls of the dead who are not yet in paradise.

Early Christians used to take part in rituals to remember their beloved departed and pray for them. There was a saying that, on this day, the souls of the dead used to prepare their napkins as they were waiting for the generosity and prayers of the living. To mark the occasion, people showed generosity to the poor and a large cauldron would be placed in the streets of towns and villages in which the inhabitants used to put vegetables. The contents were then cooked and given to the poor.

Another tradition was known as il-hanzira tal-erwieh. A pig was allowed to roam through the streets for several weeks. Wherever it went, it was given scraps of food and on 2 November it was slaughtered, cooked and given to the poor.

The event will begin at 8pm. Tickets, which cost e25, can be obtained from the Inquisitor’s Palace, the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta, the Domus Romana in Rabat and the Museum of Archaeology at the Cittadella in Gozo.