"Visiting Zebbug In Festa Season" a Zebbug Travel Page by Anthro

These are village feasts where local villagers (and tourists) gather to honor their patron saint. Throughout Malta, festas occur throughout the year, but peak in the summer. Some tour companies promote the festa season by publicizing the villages where festas will take place.

There are parades, masses, and entire crowd participation in celebrating the festa. This is one of Malta's openly religious and cultural event.

Each year, the villagers pay homage to their local patron saint. In Zebbug's case, there are two patron saints and from what my friend has told me, things can get pretty heated between the rivaling followers. Some festas become so politically charged that locals are prone to throw paint on the other patron's followers.

Regardless of the saintly rivalry, the village festas are annual events that take the entire year to prepare for. Statues are erected and strategically placed, streamers and flags hang between the buildings, lights are placed on the church, and fireworks are exploding throughout the day.