After a break due to the Covid pandemic, Gozo’s calendar of village festas is back for summer 2022!
If you’ve had a summer holiday on Gozo before you’ll know that attending a village festa is a fantastic experience and gives you a real insight into Gozitan culture.
If you’re visiting Gozo for the first time this summer then you’re in for a treat. Festa season starts at the end of May and runs through to the end of September. So if you’re planning a Gozo holiday in the summer you’re bound to experience at least one festa.
What is a festa?
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Fireworks are a very important element of a Gozitan festa. Photo: Baron Holiday Homes
The festas on Gozo are traditional feast days held to honour the patron saint of each village church. At festa time you’ll see traditional culture celebrated with gusto with a heady mix of religious processions, marching bands, flags and coloured lights, joyful community gatherings, lots of Gozitan food (of course), and often topped off with fireworks in the evening.
If a village has more than one church, such as Għajnsielem or Gozo’s capital Victoria, they will have separate festas held on different days.
Gozitans are very proud of their saints, their villages and their particular festa. Over the years this has led to an element of competition between villages to outdo each other when it comes to the festa celebrations. It’s all in good fun, of course.
What happens at a festa?
It's not a festa without a marching band.
Typically, each village will begin preparing for their festa several days before the main event, which is normally on a Sunday.
Buildings and streets will be decorated with flags and bunting and intricate strings of coloured lights. And statues of the patron saint will be displayed.
Of course, the village church is the focus of attention and will be decorated inside and out with twinkling lights and flowers.
Another important element of each festa is the traditional marching bands which parade through the streets. You might come across bands practising. There’s usually a Big March a day or so before the Sunday Mass which accompanies the procession. And there is usually another parade on the Sunday morning. Most villages have their own marching band and some villages also host concerts by other local bands.
Any gathering in Gozo can be an excuse for a party and festa time is no different. Expect to see amazing video projections on buildings and DJs doing live sets well into the night.
The highlight of each festa is a celebratory mass held on the Sunday and a procession of their patron saint’s statue through the village streets in the evening. The statue is greeted by lots of excited people who cheer and applaud as it passes.
Confetti and balloons are often launched from the rooftops and balconies and fireworks called bombi are set off.
Typical Gozitan festa food
Delicious and traditional qubbajt nougat. Photo credit: MaltaToday.com.mt
As festas are actually feast days, it’s not surprising to find that food is another important part of the celebrations. Every village will have food stalls set up offering a range of delicious snacks and refreshments.
Sweets are traditionally enjoyed at festa time – so look out for some festa favourites such as Mqaret (deep-fried date pastries) and qubbajt (chewy homemade nougat). Gozitans also love to quench their thirst with a traditional cooling drink called ruġġata – a type of spicy lemonade.
Unique festa events
Some villages have some unique traditions that are well worth experiencing. One of these is a special type of horse racing through the streets with jockeys sitting on two-wheeled gigs. These races are exhilarating to watch so look out for them in places such as Victoria, Għasri, Xewkija, Nadur, Sannat, Żebbuġ, and Xagħra.
Another unique Gozo festa is held in September at Xlendi where people compete to grab a flag from the end of a long, greasy pole which hangs out over the sea. This is a fun event to watch, especially when you see the competitors fall into the sea.
And in July in the village of Għarb, a beautiful infiorata is prepared in the main square in front of the church. The infiorata is a carpet of colourful flowers laid out in an intricate pattern.
Calendar of festas on Gozo in 2022
June
5th - St. Anthony of Padua, Għajnsielem
12th - Corpus Christi, Għasri
19th – Sacred Heart of Jesus, Fontana
29th - St John the Baptist, Xewkija
29th - St. Peter and St. Paul, Nadur
July
3rd - Visitation of Our Lady, Għarb
10th - Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Kerċem
17th - St George Martyr, Victoria
24th - St. Margaret, Sannat
31st - St Lawrence, San Lawrenz
August
7th - St Joseph, Qala
15th - The Assumption of Our Lady: Victoria
21st - The Assumption of Our Lady, Żebbuġ
28th - Our Lady of Loreto, Għajnsielem
September
4th - Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Xlendi
8th - The Nativity of Our Lady, Xagħra
18th - Our Lady of Graces, Victoria
We hope we’ve given you a flavour of what to expect to see on Gozo during summer festa season. It’s a great time to visit our island and you will be made very welcome by the friendly locals.
Many of our villa and farmhouse rental properties are located on the outskirts of Gozo’s villages so if you’re staying with us at festa time you will be able to enjoy all the fun and festivities.
Apart from festas, there will also be more than 160 organised events on the island of Gozo throughout summer 2022. You may access the programme of events by clicking here.
Why choose Baron Holiday Homes?
Booking a stay with us is easy. We have a flexible booking policy with a low deposit and you only need pay the balance 15 days before arrival. Simply browse through the list of our fabulous rental properties on Gozo to find the apartment, villa or restored farmhouse that perfectly suits your needs.
The Baron Experience is exceptional. We have been operating in Gozo for more than 25 years and most of our properties are fully owned and serviced. We also offer a wide range of extra in-house services designed to make your Gozo holiday as hassle free and enjoyable as possible.
Ask us for help
Baron Holiday Homes is happy to organise car hire, tours of Gozo, and many other things to do on Gozo for our guests. Just get in touch and we'll tell you all you need to know about walks near to your rental property, special events in villages nearby, and other local information.
Posted in Activity, Churches, Cultural activities, Family, Festa, Fireworks, Fun, Local, Local cuisine, Summer, Things to do, Traditions, Village life, What to see in Gozo
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