Trumpets blared, flutes piped, goats bleated and horses kicked up sparks on the tarmac, all in the fierce Mediterranean sun as Gozitans, Maltese and tourists alike enjoyed the revelry in Victoria yesterday.
Decked out in festive colours and bulging street stalls providing crowds with much needed refreshments, the town was the traditional backdrop for the festivities in honour of Santa Marija.
Gozo has become a desirable destination for this holiday, as the long weekend provides an ideal opportunity for many Maltese to spend a few days away from the routine back home.
Many flocked to the gardens at Villa Rundle to admire the traditional annual agricultural show organised by the Soċjetà Agrikola, Industrijali u Kulturali t'Għawdex. The exhibition abounded with fresh produce, animal pens and cages upon cages holding rabbits and various fowl.
Numerous stands displayed the multitude of crafts to be found in the various localities of Gozo, among which were stone, wood and leather work, jam-making and bee-rearing and related products.
The smaller animals in particular were quite popular with the younger children, as a young bearded goat and a batch of one-month-old dwarf goats acted as the co-stars of many a photograph taken by doting parents.
While a pair of Huskie puppies lay panting in the sun, obviously not appreciating the summer outing, onlookers watched as a group of cattle-handlers negotiated a small herd of stubborn cows onto the back of a vehicle. A few feet away, a hefty bull looked on with mild interest, occasionally flicking its tail at the flies.
The exhibition was followed by a band performance by the Leone Philarmonic Society of Victoria. Marching around the village, they were followed closely by crowds of zealous supporters carrying flags and proudly waving the band colours, white and blue. Singing along and occasionally blaring out a tune of their own, the supporters made the most of the march.
Later, crowds gathered all along Republic Street, also aptly known as Triq it-Tiġrija, as horses and ponies ambled up and down heralding the start of the horse races.
The races themselves were a furious affair, with both horses and ponies hurtling up the wide street, throwing up sparks on the tarmac. Crowds straying onto the road parted frantically, despite repeated police warnings to stay on the pavement.
The horse races hark back to the days when villagers would congregate around the citadel, riding horses and mules and other beasts of burden.
Meanwhile, across the sea, the spirit of Santa Marija was very much in evidence in Mosta where this feast is celebrated in a big way.
The feast was also celebrated yesterday in Għaxaq, Qrendi, Mqabba, Attard and Gudja. Apart from being the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, the day marks the anniversary of Operation Pedestal, the World War II convoy that made it to Grand Harbour on August 15, 1942, providing much needed supplies of food for the population and fuel and spare parts for the war effort.