Malta Events - Good Friday Processions in Malta

The Easter Celebrations in Malta start a week before Easter on Palm Sunday, with processions around various parishes remembering the triumphal  entrance of Jesus to Jerusalem. The following week is referred to as the Holy Week. On Maundy Thursday it’s a custom that Maltese visit churches and Last Supper displays. Good Friday, the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, is one of the most important religious holidays in Malta observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. Good Friday is a Holy Day for Catholics, where Christians fast and make sacrifices.

On Good Friday at 3pm, the time when Jesus died, a special mass is celebrated in churches around the Maltese islands. During the afternoon, one can attend one of the Good Friday processions held in different towns and villages. This is a very solemn procession of statues, each of which represents a particular episode in the Passion of the Christ, carried by the devout public. Between one statue and another there are biblical characters represented by people wearing epic costumes. Also, in many processions one can see men in penitence bearing a cross and dragging chains tied to their bare feet, as an act of penitence.

If you will be spending your Easter Holidays in Malta contact Our Chauffeur Driven Service and they will advise you on Where to Go and What to Do in Malta during your holidays.

Image provided by the Malta Tourism Authority.



Malta Events - Easter in Malta

Traditional Easter Celebrations in Malta

Join thousands of onlookers who line the roads from the front of the church all the way along the passage of the pageant. The band members lead the way, progressing inch by inch, setting the mood of gloom with their music. Boys and men, in the attire of shepherds, peasants, and Roman soldiers, follow, holding various reminders of the life and death of Jesus. Banners in Latin give messages to the devout Christian. One by one, several large, adorned statues pass by the stationary crowd.

The Grand Hotel Excelsior will be organizing transport to The Good Friday Procession in Qormi and Resurrection Procession in Cospicua as follows:

29th March Good Friday Procession in Qormi

• Departure from The Grand Hotel Excelsior to Qormi : 16.30hrs

• Return transfer from Qormi to The Grand Hotel Excelsior : 20.00hrs

Price : €40.00

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31st March Resurrection Procession in Cospicua :

• Departure from The Grand Hotel Excelsior to Cospicua: 09.00hrs

• Return transfer from Cospicua to The Grand Hotel Excelsior: 12.00hrs

Price: €40 Euros

If you would like some tips on what to do in Malta during your holidays or would like to book the above transfers during your Easter Holidays kindly contact the Transport Desk at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Malta.

Malta Events - Christmas Pantos in Malta

A Christmas highlight in Malta, which is popular for children and adults alike is the annual pantomime held at the Manoel Theatre and a different one held at the MFCC. A happy mix of good slapstick humour for children and satire for adults. Pantomime story lines and scripts usually make no direct reference to Christmas, and are almost always based on traditional children’s stories.

Classic pantomime stories include Cinderella, Aladdin - sometimes combined with Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves or other Arabian Nights tales, Dick Whittington and His Cat, and Jack and the Beanstalk. These four, with the occasional addition of Peter Pan and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, tend to constitute the majority of “big” productions staged by major theatres.

Smaller theatres and amateur companies sometimes perform a wider range of stories, but still within a relatively narrow range—mostly based on the fairy tales of Charles Perrault, Joseph Jacobs, Hans Christian Andersen, and the Grimm Brothers; stories from the Arabian Nights; and well-known modern children’s fantasy stories like The Wizard of Oz.

While the familiarity of the audience with the original story is generally assumed, plot lines are almost always ‘adapted’ for comic or satirical effect, it being common for characters and situations from other stories to be interpolated into the plot. Certain familiar scenes tend to recur, regardless of plot relevance, and highly unlikely resolution of the plot is common whilst straight re-tellings of the original stories are rare.

The Malta Amateur Dramatic Club, or MADC, is Malta’s oldest theatre company having spanned ten generations. This year MADC and a cast of talented actors, singers and dancers are embarking on a journey to meet the wonderful Wizard of Oz- a spectacular pantomime by Alan Montonaro. This Christmas be sure to click your heels and join Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion on an exciting journey down the Yellow Brick Road and onto the spectacular MFCC stage for a night of magic, thigh-slapping laughter and toetapping music. This show will run from the 22nd December to 6th January 2013.

Another great drama school is Masquerade, which will be staging the pantomime this Christmas at Teatru Manoel, Malta’s National Theatre. This year’s choice has fallen on THE CURSE OF SNOW WHITE and shows will run from 26th December to 6th January 2013.

For more information about Malta Events and What to do in Malta during your holidays kindly contact the Concierge at the Excelsior Hotel Malta who will give you great tips of things going on in and around Malta.

72 hours in Malta continued - Gozo

If you're planning a short visit to Malta we recommend you check out a few of Malta's highlights. Today we will be giving you some tips on what to do in Malta on Day 2.

Day 2 – Gozo You cannot really understand Maltese culture without a visit to Gozo, Malta’s more traditional and peaceful little sister. Be at Cirkewwa early to take the ferry across, so as to make the most of your day. The crossing takes only half an hour and passes by Comino island and you can catch a glimpse of the Blue Lagoon.

Victoria’s main square is home to a daily market selling all sorts of things. Check out the tiny shops around the area which sell handicrafts, and make sure you get lost in the back streets! Head up the hill to the Cittadel, the Medieval walled city, and visit the Old Prisons and some of the other interesting museums it houses. Finally walk to the bastions to get a 360 degrees bird’s eye view of the whole island! Have lunch in one of the several restaurants or cafes that offer traditional Maltese food and then head off to the village of Xaghra.

Xaghra has plenty to offer, starting with Ggantija Temples, the oldest free-standing structures in the world. Not far off is Ta’ Kola Windmill which has been lovingly restored and turned into a museum, and in the heart of the village you will find Ninu’s Cave and Xerri’s Grotto with a marvel of stalactites and stalagmites. Weather-permitting, now would be the ideal time to head to Ramla Bay for a swim. Ramla Bay is remarkable for its dark orange sand. But the real must-see is Dwejra with its Azure Window being the most photographed view in the Maltese Islands. This is the location of the Fungus Rock and the Inland Sea, as well as the Blue Hole, a worldfamous diving spot. It is really striking to watch the sunset from this point, and it offers a myriad of photo opportunities! At the end of the day you can dine in one of many restaurants in pretty Xlendi Bay nearby, and don’t worry about catching the ferry back... it runs regularly till late and occasionally through the night!

Tomorrow we will be highlighting what to see and do in Marsaxlokk and Mdina. Two places that are distinct and with their own personality. Definitely worth visiting during your Malta Holidays! So visit the Blogs of the Grand Hotel Excelsior Malta to stay updated.

Should you wish to experience one of these Exclusive Malta Tours during your holidays kindly contact the chauffeur driven service at this Luxury Malta Hotel on: +356 21250520 or on transport@excelsior.com.mt.

Photos courtesy of the Malta Tourism Authority.