Tradition lives! Wives of fishermen carry Marsaxlokk festa statue in age-old custom
The fisherman’s wives give thanks to Our Lady of Pompeii for keeping their husbands safe while out at sea
Malta’s traditional fishing village Marsaxlokk celebrated its parish feast last weekend, which honours Our Lady of Pompeii. A charming custom of this particular feast is that of the wives of the village fisherman carrying the titular statue in a procession surrounding the parish church.
In a video posted yesterday, several women of various ages can be seen singing along to the marching band's music, while sharing the burden of the statue on their shoulders. This is quite an unusual sight, as the carrying of the statue is usually reserved for men. However, the women of this village perform this symbolic tradition to express their thanks to Our Lady of Pompeii for keeping their husbands safe while out at sea.
It is likely that such a tradition started in a time when going out to sea to catch fish was a more dangerous task, as they lacked the modern tracking and weather prediction technology that exists today. However, this tradition still serves to bring about a sense of community between the fishermen’s wives, while providing a sign of support towards their husband’s toils at sea.
Have you ever witnessed this charming tradition?