The celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary begins in Malta on August 15 and lasts for several days. This is one of the largest religious holidays; the inhabitants of Malta traditionally celebrate it on an unusually large scale.
Tourists who find themselves on this day in Malta become witnesses of the general holiday atmosphere prevailing on the island. The Maltese are accustomed to celebrating any festivities unusually cheerfully and noisily, but the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, even in this series, is an exception, except that Christmas can argue with it. Starting early in the morning on August 15, the festival actively lasts three days, but in general it lasts almost until the end of the month. Someone may even be surprised at the joy with which the Maltese celebrate the death of the Virgin Mary, but the bewilderment will pass if we take into account the second aspect of the celebration - after all, the day of the Assumption of the Virgin is also the day of her taking to heaven. The Maltese are sincerely happy for her, not forgetting to ask their heavenly patroness for all the best for themselves and their loved ones.
The Day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is a day off in Malta. From early morning, many festively dressed townspeople appear on the streets, solemn processions begin, and services are held in churches and cathedrals. On this day, every believer in Maltese should attend Mass, you can skip it only for some really good reason. A procession with a statue of the Virgin passes through the city, the right to carry it still has to be earned. The statue is quite heavy, difficult to carry, but very honorable. The procession is accompanied by music performed by a brass band. Fireworks lights up into the sky every now and then - the interesting thing is that they are fired throughout the day, and not just at night. Numerous carnivals take place on the streets, merchants vying with each other offer various small foods, from hot dogs to sweets.
The celebration of the Day of the Assumption of the Virgin in Malta is distinguished by a riot of colors, bright juicy colors are present everywhere - in the costumes of the townspeople, hanging flags and banners, robes of statues of saints. The atmosphere of sincere joy reigning in cities may turn out to be somewhat unusual for the more restrained northern peoples, who do not like to express their emotions and feelings so openly. The duration of the celebration, which lasts almost until September, is also unusual. Interestingly, the next holiday is also dedicated to the Virgin Mary - on September 8, the Maltese celebrate Madonna Winner's Day in honor of several victories, which, according to the inhabitants of Malta, were helped by their patron saint.
