February
"...carnival is one of the oldest feasts celebrations in the history of the Maltese islands..."
What is the weather like during February in Gozo?
February is one of the coldest months in Gozo. It if often associated with cold temperatures and light rain. However, one would still find quite a number of activities during this period such as those related to Valentine’s Day and carnival.
How is St Paul’s feast celebrated in Gozo?
Roman Catholicism is the official religion in Malta. The vast majority of the population (around 90%) hold this religion, which was brought to the Maltese islands by St Paul apostle in the year 60AD. St Paul was on his way to Rome when the ship he was on was caught in a storm and was wrecked on the Maltese coast. St Paul, along with the other 274 passengers, swam safely to land. During his stay in Malta, he converted the Maltese people to Roman Catholicism.
Up to this day, St. Paul’s feast, which is celebrated on the 10th February, is an important feast in Malta and is also a public holiday. In Gozo, the village of Munxar celebrates this feast and holds a number of activities related to it, both in church as well as outside church. Church activities include special masses and prayers. On the other hand, those held outside church include fireworks and band marches.
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Enjoy yourself in our traditional accommodation, giving you an authentic Gozitan experience!!
Valentines in Gozo?
14th February is the day dedicated to all kinds of love and relationships, which is also celebrated in Gozo. To start with, streets are decorated with things related to the theme. One would also find activities such as movie nights organised in unusual spots in Gozo, fairs at the Villa Rundle, concerts, plays as well as workshops.
Is Gozo carnival worth going?
The carnival is one of the oldest feasts celebrations in the history of the Maltese islands. It is celebrated differently in different villages across the islands namely the organised carnival and the spontaneous carnival. In Nadur Gozo, where our B&B is set, one can get the best of both worlds, as the village holds both the organised as well as the spontaneous carnival.
During the organised carnival, an organised programme related to carnival would be held in the village centre, which would include costume competitions, dances as well as carnival floats of various sizes. A tradition which is held during the organised carnival in Nadur is the kukkanja. This tradition includes a greasy pole and prizes, where participants would climb up a pole which is covered in butter. Those who manage to make it to the top find various prizes, namely food related, and would get to choose one. Lately, the kids version of the kukkanja was introduced, where a kids would climb a shorter pole and if they make it to the top they would find toys as their prizes.
On the other hand, during the spontaneous carnival, people would wear costumes and masks and go around the village centre. During this, people would wear a mask covering their faces and joke with other people. Others would build floats and imitate certain people or issues happening at the moment.
A traditional sweet related to the carnival is the prinjolata, which is made of biscuits and a mix of nuts.
