It is 11.20 p.m. on a Saturday and the Stella Maris festa organisers are honouring their patron saint by disturbing the whole of Sliema with loud bangs and a foul smell of explosives, imposing these on many who have no interest in the feast, frightening young children and animals and disturbing the peace of those who normally sleep at this time of the night or are bed-ridden. All this apart from the traffic havoc caused by blocked arterial roads, the irritation caused by street decorations obstructing pavements and the obscene behaviour of  many young and not-so-young men and women (sporting “kemm aħna kbar” T-shirts) during the morning band march.

The festa organisers of Stella Maris would seem to be totally insensitive to the discomfort and distress caused by the loud bangs at all times but especially late at night. In a few weeks’ time we will be regaled by other shows of strength (and insensitivity) in this vicinity by the organisers of the feasts of St Gregory and St Julians.  There is a lot of talk by the state and Church authorities as to how such excess can be controlled but this madness repeats itself year after year.