Today is the first day of CARNIVAL in Malta! This is the biggest holiday for children on the islands of Malta and Gozo. The children love this long weekend because they can dress up in different costumes.
All over the island special activities are held for kids. The biggest event is a large parade down the main street in the capital city of Valletta. There are also lots of special cakes and sweets which the kids love of course!
Carnival is an old tradition. Originally, it was a time when people ate a lot of meat and celebrated before the coming of Lent which is a time of fasting and prayer. The biggest carnival celebrations in Malta are in Valletta. This is when the parades of floats, marching bands and dances tour the streets of the capital of Malta in a blaze of colour. The Carnival in Malta is a delight for children but the carnival in Gozo is best for adults. Nadur, in Gozo, is famous for it’s unique festival which is mainly a large street party held in the evening until the early hours of the morning. While the Maltese carnival is colourful, Gozo celebrates the dark side of life. The costumes you will see are more similar to what you might expect to see during Halloween.
The date of carnival changes every year as it depends on the Christian calendar. For dates and more information, visit the Malta Tourism Authority or the Malta Arts Council websites