Malta, like many Mediterranean countries seems to have a festival on a regular basis. Celebratory days linked to culture, history or of religious significance.  In October, a town called Hamrun hosts a Chocolate Festival where the streets are lined with vendors selling all manner of items made in chocolate. The prized piece being a huge 8ft by 3ft slab of chocolate depicting the town church and produced by a local chocolatier. (See photo below)

 

In February, on the Saturday before lent, the spectacular Carnival is held in Valletta and Floriana. The first recorded year of the Carnival was 1535 but since the âGreat Siege' and attempted Turkish invasion of 1565 it became a celebration of the victory.

Local groups of people work together to produce the spectacular mobiles, floats and costumes. The huge floats are made of paper which is formed over a metal frame structure, then sealed and painted, the final surface is hard to the touch.  The structures completely conceal the vehicles underneath them, complete with generators and sound systems.

 

Carnival themes old and new are created with many floats having sophisticated hydraulic systems where parts of the float open up to give surprise glimpses of characters or moving parts.

Each carnival group vying for the prestigious prize to be better than the others.

 

The sight of these huge floats moving through the narrow streets of Valletta is quite a spectacle, especially when set against the historic buildings.  The individual costumes of dancers and characters are incredibly detailed, with no doubt hours of time, care and effort involved in the design and making of them. Our particular favourite was a group dressed as American Indians on horseback, the person standing and trailing a horse costumeâappearing to be riding it. Sounds comical but it was actually very beautiful, (see photo).

 

Hundreds of people line the streets for three/four days to party, enjoy carnival spirit, young and old---- oh and to eat carnival cake!

If you feel like visiting Malta during the winter months, try to coincide your visit with the Carnival.

 

Photographs below,

Hamrun Chocolate Festival

Street Carnival.

 

Love to all

 

Tina and Tony x x