by Toppin' Up
June is considered to be the start of the Summer season for many Maltese and those visiting our Islands!
And what better way to kickstart the Maltese summer than the Maltese Festas.
With a church dedicated to various saints for almost every day of the year, Malta and Gozo surely provide festa fans a treat during the summer months!
But fear not, as these events often include various activities for everyone, including religious functions, spectacular firework displays, band club concerts, etc…
In this post, we’ll highlight just 5 villages around the Maltese Islands celebrating their festa:
1
Għaxaq, Malta
5 June 2022
Located in the southern region of the island of Malta, Ħal Għaxaq celebrates its secondary festa dedicated to St. Joseph, during the first week of June.
Home to around 4,800+ people (Jan, 2019), Għaxaq’s main church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, sees the pinnacle of its festa celebrations during the first half of August.
2
Żebbuġ, Malta
12 June 2022
Quite a central city on the Island of Malta, covering an area of around 8.7km2, Żebbuġ is quite famously known for its devotion to St. Philip of Agira.
As happens in a lot of traditional areas around the Islands, a significant number of inhabitants are named after St. Philip. Żebbuġ’s population is estimated to be around 11,000+ and derives its name from the term olives, which is translated to żebbuġ in Maltese, of which are thought to have been abundant in the area.
3
Żejtun, Malta
19 June 2022
Bordering with Għaxaq, is the city of Żejtun, which celebrates its festa dedicated to St. Catherine during the second half of the month of June.
Situated around 60 metres above sea level, Żejtun hosts more than 11,000+ people in an area of around 7.4km2.
Similar to Żebbuġ, this city lends its name to olives, derived from the siculo-arabic word zaytun, and just like Żebbuġ, olive trees were quite present across the area.
4
Mdina, Malta
29 June 2022
Going to the northern region of Malta, we’re now going to the old capital city of Mdina.
A rich history going back as early as the 8th century BC, Maleth, or as it’s now known as L-Imdina, saw a number of civilisations settling on the Islands.
The festa dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul’s is celebrated towards the end of June and is often referred to as L-Imnarja.
Mdina is home to a small population of around 243 people (Jan, 2019) and covers an area of 270km2.
5
Xewkija, Gozo
26 June 2022
Taking the ferry to the sister island of Gozo, we find one of the first few villages welcoming us for their festa this June.
Xewkija covers an area of 4.5km2 and includes a number of services such as the University of Malta’s Gozo Campus as well as the Gozo Stadium.
Their festa is dedicated to St. John the Baptist, with the village’s Rotunda being the largest church on the island of Gozo.
Will you be visiting any of the festas above?
Let us know via our socials!
