Mnarja 2002 – a one to remember

If July 4^th unites USA, then June 29^th triggers all Nadurin to celebrate as a one big family. It’s the feast of Saint Peter and St Paul, Nadur’s patron saints. Thousands of Gozitans and Maltese people flock Nadur’s main streets and enjoy seeing the Nadurin celebrate! 

Many believe that  Mnarja 2002 was one of the best feasts ever… excellent weather, so much enthusiasm, superb fireworks, huge crowds, special activities, new ideas and timely organization...

The Basilica

Allow us to compare it to a woman who is just about to get married… as beautiful as ever! Hundreds of people visited Nadur in the last days just to admire the Basilica’s splendour. Numerous Nadurin have been working busily for the past weeks to put everything in an amazing order.

Brand new dijademi (halos) were added to St Peter and St Paul’s titular statue. This year’s well-attended novena also included a daily sermon by Fr. Charles Vella, highlighting various aspects of St Peter and St Paul’s lives.

Mnarja Band

Where there is a festa, there must surely be a band. Nadur’s Banda Mnarja gave an excellent service throughout the feast, with daily performances in different areas of the town, and a special concert held at the pjazzetta on June 20^th. The Mnarja band has also published its annual CD with all festa-tracks and earlier on, another CD full of Classical Music.

In a few days time the Mnarja Band will be in Engen, in Germany, to participate in our friends’ special activities over there. Engen Band was here in Nadur last year.

Fireworks

The fireworks people work hard all year round. And when the feast arrives, they are hardly seen celebrating. Instead, they’re in the fields at Il-Gebel l-Ahmar, lighting up the Gozitan sky with magnificent fire-works.

A big well done to all those involved in this year’s fireworks program. And thumbs up to whoever had the idea of lighting up Nadur’s square at the end of the procession. Shiny fireworks were fired from top of all pjazza roofs, leaving thousands of people gathered in the square literally amazed.

Street decorations

All decorated streets in Nadur now have a committee working all year round to restore and produce new decorations. Congratulations to all those involved: Ghaqda Armar Triq Dicembru 13, Kumitat Triq San Gwann, Kumitat Triq it-Tramuntana, Kumitat Armar Pjazza, Kumitat Triq il-Knisja and Xandriku Group for all their hard work this year.

A new statue, showing the martyrdom of St Paul, was exhibited for the first on the right hand side on iz-zuntier. Next year it should be accompanied by another statue, on the left hand side, showing St Peter’s martyrdom. Restoration works was also carried out on St James’ statue at the main square. James Azzopardi carried out all work.

A new statue, St Luke’s, was commissioned to Michael Camilleri Cauchi by the Ghaqda Armar Triq Dicembru 13.  

Enthusiasm

CD’s were published, T-shirts printed, hundreds of bandanas and flags distributed, a special Mnarja float accompanied all marches… the Nadurin just celebrated in style!

Activities

The Nadur Local Council has now taken an active role in Mnarja Celebrations. While the Church is still responsible for the indoor activities, the Local Council is organizing almost all outdoor activities. The wirja agrarja, the traditional Maltese evening, the Mnarja Band Concert and the Youth and Children’s Day were all organized before Mnarja.

Special guests

Last year Nadur welcomed Germany’s Engen Band, together with some 60 youths from Cicciano, the Italian town twinned with Nadur. This year the Ciccianesi were back. However, the Nadur Local Council also invited Mgr Beniamino De Palma, Archbishop of Nola (Naples, Italy), together with Cicciano’s Archpriest Fr Francesco d’Ascoli. Nadur also welcomed Bishop Sylvester Magro, who was raised in Nadur and is currently working at Benghazi.

All those who had the opportunity to be in Nadur during feast-days will surely do their utmost to be back in a year’s time. Thanks to the work and collaboration of all Nadur organizations, Mnarja has established itself as Gozo’s most spectacular feast.  

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