Feast of Santa Marija

Santa Marija, the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, falls on 15 August every year and is a public holiday in Malta. It is the high point of the summer festa season. Several parishes dedicated to the Assumption celebrate on the same day, so the islands fill with band marches, street decorations and fireworks over the week leading up to it.

Among the best known is Mosta, whose great domed church, the Mosta Rotunda, is dedicated to the Assumption. On Gozo, the feast centres on the Cathedral of the Assumption inside the Cittadella in Victoria, and the Gozo Tourism Association lists the celebration there. A typical festa day ends with the statue of Our Lady carried through decorated streets in the evening, followed by fireworks.

How a festa works

Expect the main church lit up and hung with damask, band clubs marching through the streets, food stalls selling nougat (qubbajt) and snacks, and fireworks both in the air and on the ground. Mass and the procession are religious events, while the street side is open to everyone.

• The feast day itself is fixed; the build-up of band marches and fireworks runs through the preceding days.
• Gozo is especially popular on this holiday, so expect busy ferries from Cirkewwa; see our Gozo ferry guide.
• Cover shoulders and knees inside churches, and carry water: mid-August evenings stay hot.

Plan the rest of your Gozo days with our Gozo travel guide.