News 21/07/2002

Tougher rules for hot dog and toy stalls during feasts

By Ray Abdilla

Permits for the erection of food stalls, mainly those selling hot dogs and toy stalls have been made tougher to obtain by the Local Councils. This is the reason why fewer and fewer stalls have applied for permits in this year’s summer feasts extravaganza.

With approximately five feasts per week during the summer season hundreds of stalls, mainly selling hot dogs and toys crowded towns and villages. Over the years this culture overlayed the traditional sale of nougat, or Maltese qubbajt, which is culturally bound to the Maltese feast.

From 1 June, the number of permits for such stalls has freefallen. Permit control and responsibility was shifted from the Police to Local Councils. This also includes permits for bars to put chairs on pavements for selling spirits and fast food items.

When the Local Councils took over the licences and permits, many did not agree with some of the new regulations. Increased permit costs and control of stall siting raised cain with the stallholders. Many of them even started boycotting the feasts.

A case in point was at the St Nicholas' feast at Siggiewi, where hardly a stall was erected. Many people who attended the feast were disappointed not to find the usual sellers present. Political party clubs started to sell their own fast food turning the stallholders' loss into the parties' gain.

However the dozens of food stalls started to line the streets again from last week. Festa guzzling of the super hot dogs embellished with lettuce, tomatoes and peppers has returned.

One of the regulations which did not please the hotdog and toy-sellers was that those who sell nougat had preference over them in siting their stalls. Culturewise the nougat stalls have been present at feasts for ages. They are being seen as culturally appropriate.

Feasts have changed throughout the years. In the 18th century the feast was only a small affair, organized with the help of some benefactors. There weren't any spectacular fireworks, no band marches, no street decorations.

The feast season lasts roughly from May to September. This ensures that the weather will not undo the work and preparations of a whole year. No fewer than 90 feasts are celebrated every year in Malta and Gozo's towns and villages, nearly all of them in summer. Half the number are dedicated to Our Lady.

Today, the village feasts have been commercialised with mobile kiosks selling hot-dogs, ice creams, burgers, kebabs, chips, and all sort of fast food. One must also mention the delicious mqaret: pastry stuffed with a concoction of dates all deepfried in oil.

Some village feasts have kept their peculiar characteristics. The feast celebrations start 10 days before the actual feast day. During these days, several band marches and other musical performances are organized in the village streets. Other religious functions are organized in church, providing a spitritual buildup for the feast.