Claudia Calleja
More police at Nadur carnival this year
Facebook group planning to dress up as Jesus
A scene from last year's Nadur carnival taken from the local council's website.
More police will be on the streets of Nadur this year during its notorious carnival, which attracts thousands of revellers to the small Gozitan village each February.
Last year a new "problem" arose when a group of young people, dressed as Jesus Christ and nuns, ended up in court for choosing costumes deemed to be illegal and offensive to the Roman Catholic religion.
Nadur mayor Miriam Portelli said the police presence will be stepped up to ensure public morals are respected, as well as to manage traffic and ensure glass bottles or glasses are not allowed on the streets.
"Over the years, the Nadur carnival evolved from the cultural, grotesque celebration to more of a street party that, we estimate, attracts about 30,000 people on the Saturday, the peak of the festivities," Ms Portelli said.
This type of popular celebration has brought with it a whole new range of problems typically caused by large crowds and alcohol consumption.
In the past weeks the council held a series of meetings with police to discuss ways of minimising problems that could crop up, such as traffic congestion and fights.
Following last year's arraignments, L-Għaqda tal-Kristofri has called on the council, the police and the government to protect "honest citizens" from obscene acts that disrespect religion.
This year a Facebook group called Friends of Jesus: Nadur 2010 is planning "a peaceful protest against a modern day inquisition".
"We will march in literally hundreds, dressed up as Jesus, overwhelming any fear of retribution by numbers," according to the group that has just over 500 members.
"We are not here to offend, or belittle anyone's beliefs, but simply to underline a point where, as long as we uphold good taste, we can discuss the Roman Catholic religion in a visual language without fear of retribution by the State. The State should protect and uphold secular values, not lead an inquisition over something intrinsically trivial."
The law does not allow people to wear "any ecclesiastical habits or vestments" without permission as this constitutes offending public order. The law also prohibits the use of words or gestures that vilify the Roman Catholic Church.
As in previous years, last year scores of revellers dressed up as priests and nuns during the rowdy Nadur carnival. But last year Archbishop Paul Cremona and Gozo Bishop Mario Grech condemned what had taken place and said those involved had to recognise and respect religious and civil rights.
Once the bishops voiced their complaints, the police informed the public they had in fact taken action against some revellers.
A 26-year-old was given a one month jail term suspended for 18 months after he pleaded guilty to dressing up as Jesus Christ during the carnival celebrations.
Six people who dressed as nuns were acquitted after the court found the simple fact of dressing up as a nun, even if at carnival time, did not, on its own, amount to vilification.
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Pierre Borg
Feb 4th 2010, 00:24
@ J. Debono those that need others to respect their beliefs are just saying that their beliefs are weak. See if I give a flying toss if you mock the law of gravity.
Anthony Farrugia
Feb 3rd 2010, 10:04
It's those filthy Maltese ta mhux ahna ! That the thanks we get for being over charged more than foreign tourists and scammed/ripped off when trying to rent flat/farmhouse which look and are furnished like a "dura" ! See you at Nadur.
Saviour Cauchi Jr.
Feb 2nd 2010, 19:19
Years ago the Carnival was a great festival to enjoy and have fun in Nadur, but in the last 4 years with more and more persons coming to this festival in Nadur it has become an embarressing situation for all involved. Gone are the days of innocense and playful costumes and in are the days of debotchery and vulger costumes and act of vandalism. All the trouble with the Carnival DID start when the Maltese started to come to Nadur and not Victoria, and they started to disrespect the locals and deface public property! So today, no Nadur residents can enjoy the Carnival like they did in the past, now a days, you need to stay at home and hope no persons get hurt during the festivities and no property was destroyed or defaced! written by a proud Naduri
a. sciberras
Feb 2nd 2010, 18:43
a spontaneous carnival? does not seem like it any longer! and all because a couple of maltese youngsters decided to take it to the extreme end!
J. J. Borg
Feb 2nd 2010, 18:29
Those posing as priests and nuns in order to have some fun now face arrest, fines and possible imprisonment. At the same time, real priests and nuns who are accused of abusing children are dealt with internally by the Church and may never even have to face prosecution. Interesting . . .
A. E. Abela
Feb 2nd 2010, 16:41
Since I have never attended the Nadur Carnival event, I wish to ask whether the use of animals is included in these celebrations?
Should this be the case, police intervention would be more appropriate.
Charles Sammut
Feb 2nd 2010, 16:34
Dear Nadur residents,
Where can we send you a cheque by post so that we vulgar Maltese would not have to inconvenience you with our presence? And for those Maltese who have the temerity to cross over, can the Gozo Curia provide a dress code? Is it OK for example to come sporting a large millstone round one's neck in the biblical sense? Matthew 19:13-15
Paul Camilleri
Feb 2nd 2010, 14:22
For Nadur residents, carnival time is no longer the anticipated holiday it was once before.
Anyone who is intending on coming, please RESPECT the locals!!! Trouble-makers arent welcome!
Nobody likes walking up in the morning finding beer bottles and other rubbish behind his doorstep, let alone the stench of urine or shit! (0r even on his doorstep)
Edwin Attard
Feb 2nd 2010, 13:48
we know how to deal with vulgar people. Let them come to Gozo. They will know what it means to have a clean carnival celebration at Nadur. Those thinking of ruining our Carnival should think twice. We wont allow vulgar persons to transform and scandalise one and all with their shenanighans.
J. Debono
Feb 2nd 2010, 13:35
@ Charles Sammut
It is because we are not in the middle ages, that we need police to see that everything is in order and that no one offends other people.
In this day and age, we need to respect other people, respect their intelligence, and also respect their beliefs.
To ridicule a religion for the fun of it, is totally unacceptable.
Charles Sammut
Feb 2nd 2010, 13:33
@ Ramon Casha
"The Morality Police will be there in force to examine the costumes and ensure that only Government-approved carnival costumes are present."
I would amend that to read "Curia-approved". This Government is just an extension of the Curia.
@ Chev Chris Galea
The Maltese are entitled to save on VAT as well you know. Even if it is only once a year.
And why don't you pull out the "race card" as well while you're at it. You won't be the first one. A prominent sociology guru based her thesis on Maltese racism against the Gozitans and she is lecturing about it at uni as well. Such is the level of enlightenment at this high seat of learning, or should that be instruction? Indoctrination even.
Chev Chris Galea
Feb 2nd 2010, 12:41
Maltese people, STOP rediculing the Gozitans. Maltese troublemakers, please stay at home !
Ramon Casha
Feb 2nd 2010, 11:30
So in other words Ms Portelli is trying to destroy the "cultural grotesque celebration" that made Nadur what it is, and leave only the street party which will be exactly the same as every other street party organised anywhere. The Morality Police will be there in force to examine the costumes and ensure that only Government-approved carnival costumes are present.
I guess this is the end of Nadur Carnival as something worth seeing.
PS: How will the police distinguish between a costume of Jesus and a costume of any of the thousands of other middle-eastern men of the same period who met the same end?
John Portelli
Feb 2nd 2010, 11:22
We should dress up in Karnival,why go out naked??
Charles Sammut
Feb 2nd 2010, 10:44
Just when you thought that Malta was out of the middle ages, we bring back the religious police. Eat your heart out Mahmoud Ahmadeenejad.