More than your daily bread

The Qormi Bread Festival, now in its seventh edition, opens today and will run until September 14.

Organised by the Pastoral and Liturgical Youth Group (PLYG), this year's theme is based on bread within the context of different cultures, in light of the European Union's (EU) emphasis on multi-culturalism.

The festival was first organised in September 2002 by a group of 12 young men going by the name Roots under the patronage of the St Sebastian Parish Youth Centre. This first festival formed part of an EU Youth Initiative project and was one of the activities organised by Roots aimed at raising awareness about Qormi's traditions.

Qormi is renowned for bread-making with the tradition going back to the Knights of Saint John who reigned over the island between 1530 and 1798.

Because of the large number of bakers in Qormi the village was known as Casal Fornaro - the baker's village.