Editorial

The website of the Malta Tourism Authority defines village festas as "a time for both spiritual contemplation and for the whole parish to come together".

Carmel Cassar, a historian who has studied the cultural historical values in the 16th and 17th centuries with special emphasis on the role played by religion, writes that in the 16th century the village feast was a small affair, often held thanks to the generosity of some wealthy benefactor usually consisting in the distribution of food and money to the village poor. By the late 17th century, a number of the larger villages introduced a procession with the statue of the patron saint with the feasts earning unprecedented popularity in the 18th century.

In late 2007, Jeremy Boissevain, who, in the early 1960s, had published his work Saints And Fireworks - Religion And Politics In Rural Malta, told Maltatoday: "Today, the village feasts last for a whole week, instead of the traditional three days. The fireworks are noisier, the band club rivalries are more intense..."

Indeed, the manner in which village feasts are celebrated changed considerably over time. In the 18th century they tended to be quite simple celebrations. They became expensive and large manifestations for the masses spreading over a number of days in the 20th century. Pique on the village level, a better economic environment and the relaxing of police restrictions on secondary feasts brought an escalation from the 1970s onwards.

The bottom line: the village feast is no longer what it used to be or, better still, what originally it was meant to be. This point was made by the College of Parish Priests the other day when it launched a campaign on the true value of village feasts. This may not have been the first time such an exercise was undertaken but, given the prevailing situation, every effort deserves support.

College secretary Fr Joe Saliba referred to media reports, which, he said, often highlight threats to the religious aspect of village feasts that need to be addressed. Why parish priests should quote media reports is not immediately clear for, surely, they are in a position to witness what is happening.

The Curia and the parish priests have been very active in these last few years to curb abuses. A carrot-and-stick approach was adopted. Concrete action was taken and the actual celebrations were also suspended on a number of occasions when the situation threatened to deteriorate.

Clear policies were set. Courage and leadership were shown and, today, it is clear that the Church expects its policies to be heeded. But do they? Several initiatives were taken as part of educational campaigns. The Church Environment Commission published a study about the feasts' impact on the environment and its members were not afraid to show the negative aspects.

Some good results were reaped. A lot still has to done. It cannot be done by the Church or the parish priests alone.

The decision of the parish priests to hold a seminar that will also target other stakeholders is a very good idea. Local councils, the police, lawmakers, political parties, band clubs, local businesses and pyrotechnic associations have to shoulder their responsibilities for the upgrading of these feasts. One can only augur that all of these will rise to the occasion and give their valid contribution so that village feasts will continue to be another enjoyable dimension of this country's religious life and culture.