Feast of Our Lady of Carmel in Balluta, Sliema, a few hundred metres from from where we meet friends and pass lovely summer evenings enjoying the night breeze (when there is a breeze) and discussing all kinds of topics.
This is a shot of the part of the road in front of the church decorated for the event. The feast was celebrated yesterday but I took the shot on Thursday when the street was closed to traffic because of the band march (not military like) which had just passed through here.
Parish festas are celebrated with great festivity in Malta. Preparations start very early in the year but decorating the streets starts approximately a fortnight before the event. Exactly one week before the festa day, the statue of the patron saint is solemnly brought out of its glass niche within the church and placed in a prominent part of the church where it could be seen by one and all. Band marches around the streets of the parish take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings going into late night with fireworks at around 11.00pm. On Sunday morning, the festa day, the street band march is the most sought after with many parish youngsters making merry (sometimes full of booze or Red Bull). On Sunday evening the procession with the patron saint takes place.
Millions and millions of euros are spent each year on these festivities which start from late Spring to the beginning of Autumn. Most of the money is spent on fireworks. I was on the Sliema front every evening take shots of the fireworks which culminate in a big display on Saturday night. Unfortunately,because of the smoke (there was no wind at all) I couldn’t see anything so for me, this year it was money down the drain.
Thank you very much for looking and for your lovely comments on yesterday's picture.
This looks such a pretty waterfront, I have never been but my Mother has gone back many times as she loves it so much. A great night time shot. Shame about the fireworks!
Nice night shot, great pov and I like the way the wall curves through the shot.