People swarmed through the squares and streets of several towns and villages for the traditional Easter Sunday processions yesterday morning.
The pealing of bells and glorious weather added to the festa-like atmosphere as the Catholic Church's biggest feast was celebrated with outdoor manifestations, notably the processions and the blessing of Easter eggs and figolli.
Confetti were showered over statues of the Risen Christ carried around the streets of some 16 parishes.
Following 40 days of Lent and the sobriety of Holy Week, Easter Sunday brought back beaming smiles as the faithful exchanged Easter greetings and children carried their figolli and Easter eggs to be blessed in a symbolic gesture that has endured the test of time.
The processions held at the Three Cities lived up to their reputation of being among the most popular, with people congregating in Cospicua, Vittoriosa and Senglea from all over the island.
In Cospicua, where the tradition surrounding the Good Friday and Easter festivities goes back centuries, the Risen Christ was carried shoulder high around the narrow streets. At various points in the procession, young men ran with the statue through the crowd, raising it triumphantly at the end of each run.
According to Carmel Galea Scannura and Sunny Aquilina, who contribute regularly to the Cospicua parish church website, the statue of the Risen Christ is thought to be the work of an unknown Spanish artist.
What is certain is that the statue was brought to Cospicua from Naples by a certain Captain Andrea Scarinu who transported it on his vessel for his friend Captain Celestino Sacco. Captain Sacco, an avid organiser of the Easter morning procession, donated the statue, which is carved in wood, to the Confraternity of the Holy Crucifix 266 years ago.
The statue represents Christ rising majestically out of his tomb with the branch of a palm tree in his hand and a decorative tombstone beneath Him.
According to Mr Galea Scannura, the tombstone was redesigned by Abram Gatt and covered in silver by Casa Ranchi of Milan in 1926.