The Feast of Saint Joseph, patron saint of workers, is celebrated on March 19th around the world. In a country as Roman Catholic as Malta, this is a big day. So big in fact that every town/village wants to have their own celebration that isn’t interfered with by their neighbor celebrating at the same time. This means that the Saint Joseph celebration rolls from town to town. In Malta this holiday(s) is known as Jum San Ġużepp. People celebrate mass in the morning, then parades and fireworks, then picnic and/or feast, followed by more fireworks and parading which can span several days.
It is now mid July and folks in Malta are still celebrating St. Joseph’s day! In Valletta, Lisa and I caught one of the parade bands and some folks dressed up:
In Vittoriosa, across the grand harbor from Valletta, its festivities kicked up as Valletta’s were winding down. Near the church, fireworks, bands, confetti cannons could be heard echoing across the harbor.
Later, after the heat of the day had built, it was time for young marchers and band to cool off. While the band rested in the shade of a building, the rest got showered with water from nearby homes:
As with every celebration, there is clean up to be done:
With so many active villages and Catholic Parishes in Malta, we are wondering if the entire year is a non-stop festival or feast day for a patron saint.
