If you’re on the Maltese islands on the 28th and 29th June, boy, have you got a great treat in store! It’s l-Imnarja, a public holiday that possesses religious, cultural and rural kudos! The feast technically celebrates Saint Peter and Saint Paul, but, much like many Maltese festi today, the saints rarely get a look in.
Unlike other local feasts where alcohol, cheap food and competitive band music dominate (sounds like fun right), l-Imnarja is a little bit more cultural and holds folklore and tradition at the forefront of the event! You can expect to hear a lot of folk music such as the ghana, which will serenade you throughout the night. Generally celebrated at Buskett Gardens, this event is packed with families and their animals.
Buskett is the greenest woodland Malta has and it was used as a hunting ground during the rule of the Knights Templar but this feast finds its roots before the Knights hit our shores. The Italian word luminara means festival of light and this is thought to signify the fact that Mdina and Rabat were lit by bonfires during the event.
Maltese celebrate l-Imnarja for the same reason they celebrate any other feast: it’s a time to get out of the house; enjoy the company of your community; and be merry! Here, ethnic bands hit their beats enthusiastically, while their audience munch down on freshly cooked rabbit.
Animals of an uncooked nature also feature during this feast: a donkey and horse race usually takes place in Rabat while farm animals and other pets hang out in Buskett Gardens to enjoy their day off too!
So, will you be joining?