Here are the towns and villages across the Maltese islands hosting their own Good Friday procession
This is the most religious holiday of the year.
Dating back to the early sixteenth century, Good Friday processions have been a yearly tradition in Malta, leading up to the most important religious feast of the year, Easter. Commemorating the day when Jesus Christ died on the cross, participants dress in traditional clothing to portray well-known biblical characters.
Attendees can anticipate seeing men dressed as Roman soldiers, numerous statues symbolising the various stages of the Passion of the Christ, and a captivating yet weighty atmosphere. No matter if you identify as Catholic or not, you can be sure that seeing one of these processions will be a distinguished experience.
Good Friday celebrations typically start in various churches around the islands with an afternoon service, usually around 3 PM. Afterwards, processions are held in numerous towns and villages where life-size statues are taken out of their respective parish churches to be displayed in the procession around the village streets. Depending on the statue’s size, each one is carried by a group of 6 to 10 men acting as bearers.
Here are some of the towns and villages around Malta that are hosting their very own Good Friday processions tomorrow, Friday 3rd April.
Malta:
• Birgu | Vittoriosa - 18:00
• Bormla | Cospicua - 17:30
• Isla | Senglea - 18:00
• Luqa - 17:30
• Mosta - 17:30
• Naxxar - 17:30
• Raħal Ġdid Kristu Re - 17:15
• Qormi - San Ġorġ - 17:30
• Rabat - Paroċċa ta' San Pawl - 17:30
• Valletta - Ta' Ġieżu - 18:00
• Zebbug - 17:30
• Zejtun - 17:00
Gozo:
• In-Nadur - 18:00
• Ix-Xagħra - 18:00
• Iż-Żebbug - 18:00
• Basilica of St. George, Rabat - 17:30
The most popular processions are the ones held in Zejtun, Mosta, and Qormi but all of the above are beautiful to see. All processions start and end from the main church and they typically take around an hour to exit from the church due to the number of statues and many villagers participating in the event.
Will you be attending any Good Friday processions this year? Let us know and don’t forget to snap a few shots!