Life in Ghajnsielem takes a slower pace
again after another “Festa Mill-Isbaħ” – and indeed it
was!
The masses that braved the sometimes stifling heat and
joined in the festivities prove this.
The
Feast of Our Lady of Loreto can be
summarized as
a kaleidoscope of individuals that contributed to its
success. A special thanks goes to all the organizers
including the Ghajnsielem Parish, Għaqda
Armar, Għaqda tan-Nar, St. Joseph Band, the Clergy, the crew at Radju Lauretana, the Ghajnsielem.com
team, the cleaners, volunteers, helpers and the many other people who
were involved in the feast preparations.
Superb coverage
The radio schedule ends transmission on
the 1st of September. But the last 30 days of schedule which included live
transmissions once again proved to be a great success
especially with our emigrants, the elderly and
bedridden. Radju Lauretana managed to transmit all the
liturgical functions and external activities connected
with the feast.
Ghajnsielem.com once again registered over 40,000 hits
during the 7 days of activities. Once again, the figures
are impressive - 1800 photos were
published and the website was updated on a daily basis.
The emigrant's response was positively overwhelming!
The watermelons and other
traditions
During the last few weeks, there were many arguments in
favour or against the use of the watermelons at Friday's
'Marc Tal-Balzunetta'. Those in favour argue that these
watermelons are part of a tradition that goes
hand-in-hand with the 'Drapp tal-Festa', both of which
through the years gave an identity that formed the
famous euphoric celebrations by the revellers as we know
it today. Those against this tradition are not against
the watermelons per se but against excessive use
of alcohol. Abuse of alcohol can lead to immediate
negative effects.
Unfortunately an appeal by the authorities a few weeks
before the Feast aimed in stopping the use of
watermelons did not have desired results but instead
gave way to useless arguments in favour or against. The
whole point of reducing the abuse of alcohol was missed
and many revellers turned up with large plastic bottle
(instead of watermelons) full of cocktail mix!
But on a positive note it should also be noted that
another appeal (during the feast week) by the
authorities "not to share or drink from the same
watermelon and large bottles" in view of the spread of
the influenza virus did have encouraging results since
many opted to keep the containers for themselves. This
appeal also urged for decency in words, dress and
behaviour and also cautioned against excessive drink.
The key for a successful
feast lies in moderation... hence we can preserve our
traditions while tackle the negative effects through
positive educational campaigns.
The 'Marċ tal-Għeluq'
The traditional 'Marċ tal-Għeluq'
which starts at 11.00pm on Feast Day seems to be dying a slow death.
During the last few years, the number of revellers
participating in this band march have
diminished. Although there were many children happily
dancing the 'Viva x-Xemx' and 'Ta Gerrew', the main
square still looked empty. But with some tweaks and
minor changes, this traditional march can be revived.
There are several options available and the feast committee should
properly discuss these options with an open mind in order to
revive this tradition which is after all part of Ghajnsielem's tradition.
A spiritual (but also a cultural) dimension
The feast has both a spiritual and cultural dimension
and
the feast of Our
Lady of Loreto is certainly not an exception. It pretty
much follows a long-established pattern of traditional
Maltese feasts, one that has been passed on from
generation to generation, from century to century.
Bands, processions, firework displays, church functions
and marches are the focal point of these feasts while
many youths make the celebrations livelier
and more jovial.
Feasts can simply be defined as the Maltese culture in
full colour.
But some argue that the spiritual aspect of these feasts
is diminishing as more importance is given to the
material aspects.
We
must not forget that a feast is a Christian festivity
which aims to bring people closer to God.
Hence a balance must be found between material and
spiritual activities. But the solution does not lie in
limiting the external activities in order to minimize
the aspects of materialism. After all, the 'festa' is
the main social event in the village year and the 7 days
of external activities are the outcome of months of hard
work by willing volunteers after so many months of
preparation. Hence spreading the external celebrations
over a week makes sense from a social, cultural and
financial point of view.
Luckily, Ghajnsielem managed to find a good balance.
Wednesday's Marian vigil of prayers which is held in the
main square is an excellent example of a spiritual
activity that blends with the external celebrations. The
beautiful liturgy, the novena and the triduum were also
well attended by the Ghajnselmizi including several
youths.
Let us hope that both our internal and external feast
traditions are preserved
Hope and Determination
Our village is passing through a challenging period. But
thanks to the generosity and kindness of the
Ghajnslemizi, several projects which were just a distant
dream for our fathers are now becoming a reality.
After the triumphal entrance of the procession, Archpriest
Frankie Bajada announced that in less then two years,
over €300,000 have been collected for the bells. And
just a few days before, local master mason Leli Saliba (Bufajra)
laid the last stone on the lantern part of the dome
which had to be rebuilt due to structural damage. During
the Open Day at the St Joseph Band Club, many had the
opportunity to see the main hall and snooker hall. The
Band Club Committee also revealed that the Musical
Archive and Committee Room will be inaugurated next
year. The football club is also in the process of
building a turf pitch.
We might be passing through a difficult period, but the
people of Ghajnsielem are full of hope and
determination. Their enthusiasm will see our dreams
coming true.
Viva x-Xemx. Viva l-Madonna ta' Loreto.
