Games nanna and nannu used to play

Malta’s games of yesteryear were revived in Vittoriosa this afternoon when the young and their parents got together in the city’s street testing their skills at il-Passju and their precision of aim at boċċi and ballun stop.

Other games celebrated included gwerra franċiża, il-logħba tal-maktur, ħarba, iż-żunżana ddur iddur, ħaġa moħġaġa and bum bum il-bieb. The afternoon included a kite-making workshop. Self-made kites, manoċċi, as they are known in Żejtun, could then be flown off St John’s Cavalier.

Most of these games were very popular in the British period when many families were unable to afford toys and the streets were still traffic free. Balls were often made out of rags, while pebbles or small stones were used to mark the numbers in il-passju.

The festival intended to present games as an integral part of the Maltese cultural identity that should not only be preserved but also actively promoted.