Jgħajtu x-xjuħ u jgħajtu t-tfal, viva l-jiem tal-Karnival! Roughly translating into “the old and the young cheer, for Carnival days are here”, these lines are taken from the infectious anthem that is played widely throughout carnival on the island of Gozo. This year’s official celebrations will take place between 28 February and 4 March; five days of colour, music, and mayhem.
Victoria’s Organised Carnival
The organised Carnival in Victoria, Gozo. Photo: Baron Holiday Homes
This beloved event is one of the biggest creative outlets for Gozitans, highlighting the island’s enormous talent and sense of community. The elaborate costumes, mechanised floats, papier mâché grotesque masks, and choreographed dances that make carnival an unmissable experience are the result of hours of burning the midnight oil by enthusiasts of all ages.
The handiwork of these Gozitan volunteers, whose dedication and creativity ensure that carnival continues to pack a punch, is showcased during the parades and dance competitions that are organised in Victoria. While carnival troupes and companies fork out the money themselves for the realisation of their creations, be they costumes or floats, one special float that serves as the mobile throne for King Carnival is made on commission each year.
Nadur’s Spontaneous Carnival
Carnival in Nadur is a spontaneous one. Photo: IslandofGozo.org
It’s not just the Gozitan capital that is hijacked by carnival merriment. Many Gozitan villages, including Għarb, Qala, Munxar, and Xagħra, organise their own smaller scale carnival celebrations centred around the village square. The village of Nadur has built a solid reputation as the place to be to experience some true carnival madness and spontaneity, so much so that it attracts thousands of people from Malta each year.
Here, the celebrations do not follow an orderly programme of events. Complex costumes are traded for homemade ensembles and cheap online-bought getups that often poke fun at local and international politicians who would have made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Some do not seek to make political statements through their choice of costume but, true to the roots of the Nadur carnival, embrace the macabre. Donning eerie masks, dark costumes often fashioned out of rags and sacks, and armed with unlikely accessories such as skulls and bones, these Carnival-goers disguise themselves beyond recognition.
A Bit of History
The word carnival comes from the Italian carne vale or meat is allowed. The roots of the word make more sense keeping in mind that carnival precedes the 40 days of Lent that are associated with fasting, back in the day moreso than nowadays.
The Knights of Saint John are generally credited with the introduction of carnival on the Maltese Islands after their arrival in 1530. However, documents dating back to the 1400s suggest that carnival had been celebrated before this advent, with the Knights popularising these festivities through organised balls, jousting tournaments, and parades.
Different Grandmasters left different marks on carnival celebrations along the years. Perhaps the most notorious remains Grandmaster Lascaris who had banned costumes related to the devil and women from attending balls hosted by the Knights, with those who went against his orders receiving public lashings. His name even made its way into the Maltese language through the expression wiċċ (face) laskri, which is used to describe someone with a long face.
The Prinjolata
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Carnival's Traditional Sweet - the Prinjolata. Photo: Apron and Whisk
Did you know that carnival has its very own sweet? Made with cream, condensed milk, biscuits and sponge, prinjolata is a dome-shaped traditional carnival dessert. The word prinjol comes from the word for pine nuts, which are used to decorate on the prinjolata together with candied cherries and chocolate.
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Our guests can book with confidence thanks to our grace period and money-back guarantee. You have up to 24 hours to cancel a booking (at least two days before your arrival date) and receive a full refund without any additional fees.
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Posted in Carnival, Cultural activities, Family, Fun, Things to do, What to see in Gozo, Winter
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