On the 21st September, Malta celebrates Independence Day. This national holiday is annually celebrated with a week of events which take place on the Granaries in Floriana. This year we celebrated the 48th anniversary.
For many of our students, witnessing an event such as this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. They jumped at the occasion to participate in this Maltalingua activity.
During the week-long celebrations, Maltese and tourists alike, gather at the Granaries in Floriana to celebrate Independence Day. Different bands and singers entertain the audience every night and people can nibble on traditional Maltese food but one can also find an assortment of different foods from other countries. A song festival is also held annually and it is considered to be the second top festival in Malta after the Malta Song for Europe (Eurovision).
Sadly, our trip started off on the wrong foot. We waited for our bus to pick us up, however it didn’t turn up. I called the bus company and they reassured me that the bus was on the way but it got held up due to an accident that took place in one of the main roads in Malta.
As the old saying goes, better late than never. The bus turned up, and we finally headed to the Granaries. We arrived in no time and we could hear the music echoing in the background. As soon as we got off the bus, I could smell the delicious aroma of different food from different food stalls. Our stomachs started to churn.
We made it towards the different food stalls and the group separated because everybody wanted to eat something different. I opted for a typical Maltese dish… Snails garnished with aljoli (a special mixture of garlic, fresh breadcrumbs, anchovies, parsley and mint). Yummy!
On the stage, many talented Maltese singers were accompanied by a live band, playing internationally known tracks… and that’s when I spotted our students dancing to Mamma Mia! The students were all enjoying themselves. Theywere humming to Maltese songs even though they hadn’t heard them before. This confirms that music is an international language.
And like Cinderella, our bus picked us up at midnight to take us back home. This time, our bus was on time and it didn’t turn into a pumpkin.
Written by Katrin Risiott
– Katrin Risiott