Happy feast day, everyone! Thanks to our ancestors, today the Maltese Islands have a glorious public holiday to enjoy. Today, 8th September we celebrate Victory Day, which commemorates multiple events in Maltese history.
Why we celebrate
Today’s feast commemorates the end of the 1565 Great Siege – possibly one of the Knights’ most intense battles, the end of the French occupation in 1800, and also the 1943 armistice of the Fascist regime in Italy.
State ceremonies
Usually, state ceremonies commemorating Victory Day take up most of the entire day, starting off with the military parade in the morning. The President of the Republic makes an appearance at these events and flowers are laid by the Antonio Sciortino ‘Great Siege’ monument. Once these are done, it’s time to head to the Grand Harbour for some cool festivities.
Regatta
The Victory Day edition of this traditional regatta event will be taking place as usual, with teams from the following districts: Birgu, Birzebbuga, Bormla, Isla, Kalkara, Marsa and Marsamxett.
Town festas
Every year, four towns across the islands, namely Naxxar, Senglea, Mellieħa and Xagħra (Gozo), go all out, celebrating their town’s feast with a bang as today’s public holiday coincides with the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady (Marija Bambina) and Our Lady of Victories. On the Maltese Islands, this only means one thing: our iconic celebration, a festa. This usually includes colourful fireworks displays, street food, processions, and decorations all around town! So take your pick from these four localities and enjoy!