Enchanting and fabulous Żejtun olive festival (2)

May I through these columns congratulate the fine initiative which the village of Żejtun took to remind us of the ancient culture of oil production which these islands enjoyed over the centuries.

The names of Żejtun itself, Ħaz-Żebbuġ, Birżebbuġa and even in Gozo, the tiny village of Għasri, and so many other sites related to this practice are known to us. In her book The Olive Route, Carol Drinkwater talks about this almost lost tradition dating back to the Phoenicians and possibly already then we had had olive groves so olive wood together with the Judas trees to cover the tops of our Neolithic temples. This festival proposed by Żejtun enhances our traditions and takes us back to our roots.

More similar events over the autumn and winter months create a diversification to be enjoyed by both locals and tourists visiting our islands.