Festive days

With no processions being allowed through the streets of every town and village, the Maltese landscape this year has been deprived of something so iconic, so punctual, and so irreplaceable, thanks to the coronavirus. The feast of my hometown of St Julian should have been celebrated today, but all that is allowed is a High Mass in the parish church. So has happened and will happen in the rest of the parishes, although the early feasts in May and early June were lucky enough to hold a pilgrimage, which was allowed by the Bishop, a manifestation of faith with the titular statue with only marching bands playing religious hymns and nothing festive. But after the spike in the number of cases in mid-July and early August, they were discontinued. But to look back at the past, I share with you 3 photos of the feast of St Julian’s from the past 4 years. The first one shows the statue of St Julian in the smaller old parish church, where my parents were married, where I was baptized, and where I still say Mass occasionally. 

The second one shows the same statue being carried in procession, and the third one shows a typical street decorated with banners and other decorations – incidentally, our home is the second green door on the left-hand side. We hope to celebrate twice as much next year as all the parishes are looking forward to make up for the disappointment of this year’s cancellations.