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James Debono
Valletta will host a large-scale celebration marking the Epiphany – a forgotten tradition for the Maltese islands.
Tre Re (three kings) is a major event in the Catholic calendar but locally it lost its secular allure as a day of public joy ever since former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff cancelled it from the list of public holidays. The feast was eclipsed by the more Anglo-Saxon celebration of New Year’s Eve.
Speaking to MaltaToday last month, Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech confirmed the ministry was in discussions with a private entity but would be issuing a call of interest, which was proposing a New Year’s Eve event. But hopes that Malta will have its replica of celebrations in Time Square and Trafalgar Square have now evaporated.
Instead the ministry has decided to introduce an annual large-scale celebration of the Epiphany on January 6, which this year will be celebrated on a Saturday.
“This also serves as another event that winds up celebrations to welcome in the New Year,” a spokesperson for the Ministry told MaltaToday.
The government has given up on a New Year’s event not to disrupt other private events – which normally take the form of expensive open bars where young people try to get their money back by drinking themselves comatose. Lacking any alternative, older and more sober people normally celebrate New Year together with their family at home or in a restaurant.
“On that night it is the tradition that Maltese families choose different venues where to celebrate the occasion and hence any large scale event by the Ministry would only disrupt normal commercial activity in Valletta itself as well as all over the country,” the ministry’s spokesperson told MaltaToday.
Not to undo New Year’s business “traditions” – the government is set to realign Malta with the Latin world especially Italy where the epiphany rivals New Year and ‘La Befana’ beats her male counterpart Father Christmas.
Instead of chilling out after weeks of booze and food, the Maltese will have one more day to joust in an extended Christmas season – not a bad idea after a befana-style budget.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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