Carnival Traditions in Malta
Maltese people love carnival. They’ve been pretty much obsessed with it since the 15th century and, as such, many of the traditions have roots many hundreds of years ago but are still honoured today. Here are a few of them:
Il-Parata
The parade that kicks off the Carnival season. It celebrates the victory of the Knights of Malta over the Ottoman Empire during the great siege of 1565.
Carnival floats
The Carnival in Valletta is the official one, with many brightly coloured floats usually armed to the teeth with all kinds of technological devices, from moving arms to ear-splitting sound systems. There are also dance companies that perform on these floats, often trying to outperform other floats to win the coveted title of ‘King Carnival’.
Spontaneous Carnivals
The carnival in Valletta is a must-see, but if you like your carnivals a bit more chaotic and spontaneous, the carnival in the villages or Nadur in Gozo and, to a lesser extent, Ħal Għaxaq in Malta will provide plenty of this DIY spirit. Expect grotesque, outrageous costumes and any spectator being dragged into the fray at random!
Prinjolata
The word comes from the Italian word pinolo, pine nut. This might have been the prized ingredient way back when, but nowadays the dome-shaped cake is absolutely packed with all kinds of things: biscuits, spongecake, cream, maraschino cherries, chocolate, almond shavings and any other excess the chef can lay their hands on.
Perlini
If you’re not scared of breaking your teeth, perlini (little pearls) are sugar-coated almonds that come in a wide variety of colours. Crunch and munch.
Il-Kukkanja
A pole is greased and raised over the main square of Valletta. Then competitors have to try to reach the top of the pole where prizes await them. This game was introduced to Malta from Naples by Grand Master Zondadari, a Neapolitan knight, in 1791. Apparently when introduced this tradition was so popular that guards had to be stationed not only next to the pole to maintain order, but also in the warehouses where the prizes would be kept.
Lascaris
A little language bonus. When someone is gloomy and a bit of a killjoy, Maltese people say he’s “wiċċ Laskri” (“Lascaris’ face”). This was in ‘honour’ of the very pious and dour Grandmaster Giovanni Paolo Lascaris who banned many aspects of the carnival which were, to his eyes, unholy. The Lascaris ban was so unpopular that to this day, many centuries later, this phrase is still used in common parlance. Is Carnival an important tradition in your country? Which aspects of it do you like or dislike?