Hundreds of people gathered in Buskett to celebrate one of the oldest feasts in Maltese history. Others preferred to spend the day away from these celebrations and went to the beach.
In Buskett, a large selection of vegetables, fruit and other agricultural produce was displayed and a variety of different animals created the right festive atmosphere.
Sounds of band marches and animal noises filled the normally quiet gardens as the morning session came to an end with President Edward Fenech Adami and parliamentary secretary Frans Agius presenting awards for the best displays on show. Malta Labour Party leader Alfred Sant also visited the show.
The origins of the feast of St Peter and St Paul, which later took the name of the Mnarja feast, date back to the 15th century when fire torches were lit around the Mdina bastions and cathedral.
In olden times, people from all over the island used to gather around the Mdina bastions and spend the whole night eating, drinking and singing.
The torches, which were known as luminaria, gave the name to this feast that could be described as the most traditional and most loved of all feasts. It has been held for centuries, even before the arrival of the Knights of St John in 1530.
As time went by, this event moved to Buskett where, in more recent years, farmers have gathered to show off their best products, while the eating of Maltese-style rabbit remained the order of the day. The celebrations were revived by the Agrarian Society in around 1986.
Year in, year out, people watch animals being ill-treated – and certainly Mnarja is not an enjoyable day for them. Birds of all types, sizes, shapes, and colours were locked up in their minute cages in the blistering heat. Rabbits, pigeons and other animals were also crammed into small enclosures for the better part of the day. Luckily, the animals were spared from direct sunlight on a summery day, since they were displayed under the massive metal canopy at Buskett Gardens.
The scorching sun yesterday afternoon did not deter hundreds of people from flocking to the annual traditional Mnarja horse and mule races. This event dates back to the 16th century, when races were held for men, boys and slaves at the foot of Saqqajja Hill.
There was fierce competition among the young jockeys, even though there is no prize money for the winners of these races. However, most jockeys see them as a question of honour. Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech distributed prizes to the winners.
Animal-lovers prefer not to attend such events – the ill-treatment seen here, with the animals beaten in order to run faster, may be too much to accept.