Mnarja

The Feast of St Peter & St Paul in Nadur

One of Gozo's most spectacular feasts is celebrated on June 29th in Nadur. Thousands of people gather in the main streets of Gozo's biggest village and celebrate the feast of St Peter and St Paul.

Official celebrations start a week before the actual feast day. Band marches and activities targeted for all sections of society make up a very busy week prior to the big day. Wherever you are in Nadur, you can notice foreign flags flying on top of private houses. The US, Canadian, Australian and British flags clearly highlight Western ties and show signs of returning immigrants. Nadur is indeed one of the most localities in Malta with a long tradition of immigration.

However, let's go back to the year 1688 when it was decreed that the east of Gozo an area comprising Nadur, Qala, Ghajnsielem, Imgarr and Comino island would become a parish. All together they had a population of around 400. The Historic shrine of the Immaculate Conception at Qala was to serve as parish church temporarily while immediately work commenced to build a bigger church on Nadur Hill which was therefore to make Nadur one of Gozo's first and proudest parishes.

The titular statue of St. Peter and St. Paul was made in Marseilles in 1882. The Church is also endowed by wonderful frescoes, including works of Lazzarus Pisani. A beautiful painting near the main altar is attributed to the school of Mattia Preti. This Nadur Basilica also boasts of 33 stained glass windows, an onyx presbyter and a fascinating pulpit with carved bronze images.

In the first days of June the streets of Nadur start to undergo a big transformation. The festa decorations in Nadur attract a lot of enthusiasts from all over Malta. It is interesting to note that for every street in Nadur there is a committee responsible for its feast-decorations!

Children, youths, elderly, families, emigrants, people with disabilities, organisations… they all have their special day throughout the novena (nine days preceding the feast). The celebrations reach their peak on feast day, when the statue of St Peter and St Paul is devotedly carried around Nadur.

The Nadur youngsters are renowned for their enthusiasm. Gozo and Maltese bands could be seen playing in Nadur from mid-June onwards! The traditional feast-morning march highlights the peak of all festa enthusiasm.