There has hardly been a year that the Maltese festa season, which coincides with summer, has not been marred by some fireworks factory blast, leaving a number of victims in its wake. This summer, in the space of a few weeks, we have had two such explosions - at Wied Qirda, near Zebbug, and at Gharb, the former leaving three dead and others seriously maimed, and the latter, last Friday, involving a tremendous explosion as some 6,000 fireworks blew up. Fortunately, in this case no one was hurt, although damage was caused to buildings in the vicinity.

The Zebbug tragedy was especially heart-rending because the victims were relatively young, leaving behind young wives and children. Yet, despite the deaths, those involved in making fireworks continue with their highly hazardous hobby - sometimes handed down from generation to generation - which seems to exercise, alas, an often fatal attraction to them.

For what is a Maltese festa without fireworks? And what is a Maltese festa without the selfless dedication of so many volunteers, who help with street decorations, band marches, confetti, distribution of programmes, door-to-door collections, the religious functions, the actual procession - and the fireworks?

These people are fired with genuine devotion to their patron saint and to their town or village, but one has to admit that spiritual devotion to Our Lady or to the patron saint is much less of a motivating force in Maltese festas nowadays.

In many cases the real driving force is more likely to be a not so healthy rivalry with a neighbouring parish, or indeed, with the other feast in the same locality. So what better way to show who's best than by having louder bangs and more lavish fireworks displays, not to mention more imposing band club façades and ever more grandiose decorations?

As long as this rivalry limits itself to ostentatious displays, it would do no harm, but when it leads to trading of insults, scuffles, injuries and - worse - deaths, then it becomes nonsensical and hardly the Christian way of honouring the village patron saint.

Indeed, exaggerated piques and clashes between rival supporters have led the Church authorities in recent years to cancel or suspend the outdoor celebrations in a number of localities, and the Curia has repeatedly dissociated itself from the unbridled revelry, drunkenness and unacceptable behaviour shown during 'morning' band marches when swearwords, blasphemies and obscenities chanted by band supporters in a drunken stupor fill the air - this purportedly during marches in honour of the local patron saint!

So while every effort should be made to preserve the traditional Maltese festa - with its band marches, its nougat-sellers, its street-decorations, the wonderfully decorated churches, the pealing of bells, the confetti, the fireworks, various local customs (such as the Gostra at Msida), the week-long religious functions, and naturally, the procession with the statue of the patron saint - perhaps the time has come to curb certain excesses.

Such excesses include the firing of petards and the making of loud bangs practically during every hour of the day for a whole week. There should be restrictions on loud bangs, especially during daytime; surely no-one objects to the colourful, ingeniously designed fireworks lighting up the night sky, which often provide spectacular displays. However, there is a time and a place for everything.

Also, in the light of the practically annual fireworks factory explosions and the inevitable crop of victims, it is time to restrict the number of such factories, ensuring the strictest possible safety precautions, limiting access to authorised personnel. Admittedly, a number of safeguards are already in place, but evidently they are not enough. Certainly one way of limiting the risk is to limit the number. And those allowed to operate should obviously be at a safe distance from residential areas.

Rapid building development has meant that festa fireworks are now let off ever closer to residential areas. This factor should be borne in mind by those who buy such property or by those who build their own homes.

Limiting the amount of petards and other fireworks would limit - though certainly not eliminate - the risk of further explosions. But restraint should also be applied to other aspects of the Maltese festa, which is rightly considered a major tourist attraction. Without such restraint, this nominally religious and folkloristic celebration is fast running the risk of turning into an empty pagan ritual, completely devoid of its original meaning.

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