Folklore and Religious Culture

Among the Maltese's culture, we find rural folklore and religion.

Maltese customs are still visible in the everyday life, particularly in Valletta with their fireworks for example. This celebration of the local village’s patron saint started over five centuries ago, during the reign of the Knights of St. John.

Traditional life starts from the beginning of life in Malta. The vast majority of babies were baptised in the Roman Catholic. Shortly after be baptised, usually on a child’s first birthday, the Maltese practise a original tradition called the "il-quccija", the child crawling towards a collection of objects with the family and friends around encourage the child to pick something. The tradition say that the selected object is representative of the child’s future career. Objects typically include rosary beads, indicating an ecclesiastical calling, a hardboiled egg, symbolising prosperity, as well as more modern inclusions such as a calculator symbolising a career in finance.

Other religious sacraments are celebrated with the same gusto, including the First Holy Communion.

For the weddings, it's a big affair in Malta. In fact, the Island has recently started including wedding tourism as part of its offering to visitors. However, the traditional Maltese wedding is still alive and kicking. Although there have been some modifications throughout the years, the core concepts are still practised: ceremonies are almost always afterwards, usually in wedding halls or in one of the Islands’ many gardens.

PS: There are 337 churchs in Malta, for the size of the island, it's enormous.

Church of Carmes in Valletta

Religious feast in Valletta