Heritage Malta is organising an event entitled ‘Experiencing l-Ghid tal-Erwieh’ in the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa. Participants will be introduced to the traditional celebration by means of two presentations by Kenneth Gambin, Head Curator at Heritage Malta. The first will deal with the inquisition and the supernatural. The second is entitled ‘Devils and Saints, Invocations and Apparitions’. These will be followed by a thematic supper consisting of Kawlata (vegetable soup with pork), Majjal il-Forn (roast pork), Ghadam tal-Mejtin (bone shaped almond based sweet) and a selection of wine and coffee. Interested participants can opt to sleep-over in the 17th century prison (sleeping bags and torches are to be provided by the respective participants).

L-Ghid tal-Erwieh was celebrated in Malta on 2 November so that the Christians would remember the souls of the dead who were not yet in paradise.

Early Christians used to take part in rituals to remind themselves of their beloved departed and to 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. Christians on that day were generous with the poor and so a large cauldron used to be placed in the streets of towns and villages in which the inhabitants used to place vegetables. The contents were cooked and then given to the poor.

Another tradition was known as il-hanzira tal-erwieh. This was a pig which was allowed to roam through the streets for several weeks. Wherever it passed it was given scraps of food. On 2 November it was slaughtered cooked and given to the poor.

The activity will be held on Friday 6 November from 8pm onwards. The tickets which cost e25 can be bought from the Inquisitors Palace, the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta, the Domvs Romana in Rabat and the Museum of Archaeology at the Cittadella in Gozo.