When a loud explosion rudely jolted David Smallbone and Aurelie Gascon out of their sleep at their hotel yesterday morning, they had no idea what had happened.
However, they soon found out: shortly after the petards from the St Julian's feast were launched at 8 a.m., a loud bang caused part of the façade cladding of the Rokna Hotel in St Julian's to land on their balcony.
"We heard a loud explosion followed by more noise and we went out to the balcony to see what happened. The floor was covered with debris and smashed glass from the table that had been damaged. We ran downstairs and were told what had occurred. It's a good thing we were not on the balcony at that moment," Mr Smallbone told The Sunday Times.
As they were being driven to the hotel, the taxi driver had warned the tourists to expect some noise as St Julian's celebrates its feast this weekend. But Mr Smallbone, who is on his first visit to the island to attend a friend's wedding, said that by no stretch of the imagination had he expected yesterday's racket.
Hotel owner Anton Camilleri said the loud bangs were something the hotel had to endure on an annual basis and he was resigned to the fact that the situation would not change.
Asked whether he intended to report the incident, he said he did not bother because "reporting anything to the police is a waste of time".
When the petards were let off in the morning the noise was unbearable, he said: "Year after year the buildings shake and the car alarms are set off. Last year an American tourist came running down the stairs screaming when the petards were let off - she was petrified because she did not know what was going on.
"It's an ongoing thing. This time it was more serious because my property was damaged and there was a real chance that people could have got hurt. But I am sure it will be the same next year."
Petards and fireworks have again led to a string of accidents this summer, leading to vented frustration and anger by locals and tourists alike as more people join a chorus of disapproval against the excessive bangs during feast celebrations.
Although Parliament has approved legislation amending the Explosives Ordinance, there is still no law regulating the noise levels during feasts.