Tuesday 29 January 2013

Attending Mnarja Festival in Malta

Today, I had a discussion with my best buddy. She was very fired up to go to Malta for the Mnarja festival or L-Imnarja in honor of Saints Peter and Paul. The celebration is generally celebrated every 29th of June. As there is still time to get ready, she invited me to join her in her vacation. I readily said yes! Great! I can finally get out of the nation and see unusual places. In no time at all, we searched the internet trying to find cheap holidays to Malta.

We looked at our passports. We made sure they were still up to date. We also visited our family physician for the necessary shots needed for the journey. We organized, purchased, and packed our stuff way ahead of time. We checked that our cameras were packed and additional batteries were bought. We were told to look after ourselves and to have clean fun.

Family members and friends escorted us to the airport during the departure date. We took a lot of pictures to immortalize the moment. We were so excited as we boarded the plane. The moment we arrived in Malta, my best friend's uncle and his family rushed to meet us. They were chatting and telling us things. Both of us were bombarded with excitement as we took photographs of the scenery. I especially love the architecture of the fine old buildings.

We were astonished at all the people in the streets. And the streets were so vibrant and busy. Everywhere we went, a member of the uncle's family imparted information regarding the place. About the Mnarja celebration itself, we learned that it was a festival that is filled with prayers, food, and songs. And this feast was one of the most significant festival in the Maltese culture. In the beginning, this was a Roman feast called Luninaria. This meant "illumination." The occasion started with the reading of the "bandu." The "bandu" was an official communication from the government. This tradition has been done since the 16th century. At night, we had the chance to witness a torchlight procession. The river of flickering lights was just amazing. It also added character to the procession. There were so many people who took part in the event. And the lights they carried appeared like fireflies in the night.

We tasted all the food that were prepared for us. The exotic meals were just amazing, although we were not accustomed to the taste of some of the meals. They also toured as around the Island of Malta. We stopped by St John's Co-Cathedral, the church of the Order of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem. We were amazed at the wonderful interiors made of gold and marble as well as the fine artwork inside the complex's museum. We also watched the Valleta Living History, a 35-minute show about the history of the city. Read additional info on Malta, view website of Malta.

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