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James Debono
43% of respondents in MaltaToday’s survey would attend a public event welcoming the New Year in Valletta, with the percentage rising to a remarkable 52% among those aged under 35.
Malta is unique in the Western world for the lack of any public event organised by the state to welcome the New Year. Back in October Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech had said the ministry was in discussions with a private entity 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 evaporated after the ministry decided to introduce an annual large-scale celebration of the Epiphany on January 6, which this year will be celebrated on a Saturday.
The event is being promoted as a Notte Magica in the same vein as the successful Notte Bianca which saw thousands of people of all ages congregating in Valletta in October. The government has given up on a New Year’s event not to disrupt other private events.
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.
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.
In the lack of a public event to commemorate the New Year, 22% will celebrate at their own home and another 22% will celebrate at a relative’s or friend’s home. Only 4% will be attending an organised party while 5% will be bar hopping. 12% will be celebrating at a hotel or restaurant.
For nearly 5% New Year’s Eve will simply be another night working. The percentage rises to a remarkable 8.5% among those aged between 18 and 34.
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