When: Everyday during the 3rd week of July
Where: Around Kalkara
Who is invited: Everyone
Entrance: Free
The feast of Saint Joseph in Kalkara is celebrated with much pomp during the 3rd week of July, whole week of activities are celebrated throughout Kalkara including band marches, fireworks displays, great food, liturgical activities, band concerts and the devotional procession with the statue of Saint Joseph.
Homes are looking their absolute best, often benefitting from a fresh coat of paint a few weeks before, in preparation for the feast. The interiors may be glimpsed through the open doors and windows, unless your curiosity gets rewarded by an invitation from the family to come inside for a closer look and a drink! The facades are decorated with colourful drapes handing to the balconies. During the day; flags are flying while during the night blue or red lights are raised on the several flagpoles located on house roofs around Kalkara. The roads are decorated with light, drapes, paintings and statues on pedestals. The evenings often end with spectacular ground and aerial fireworks displays in an explosion of colour, firecrackers and loud petards.
Schedule
Monday: A solemn mass is held at the Kalkara Parish Church, at the end; the statue of Saint Joseph is taken shoulder-high on the parvis and is welcomed with singing, sonnets, cheering and clapping by the parishioners and hymns from a mass band composed by the two local band clubs. A dinner with entertainment follows for all present on the Church parvis.
Tuesday: A seated band concert is organised at the Holy Family Square by the band club ‘Circolo San Giuseppe Filarmonika Sagra Familja’, everyone is welcomed to attend, while the band club ‘Għaqda Mużikali San Ġużepp’ organises a band march and carrying sholder-high a statue of Saint Joseph at Santu Rokku Hamlet, by the end of the march the statue is raised on a pedestal in the same area.
Wednesday: A band march is organised by the band club ‘Circolo San Giuseppe Filarmonika Sagra Familja’ in the upper parts of the village carrying a statue shoulder-high (replika to the old statue of Saint Joseph which was unfortunately destroyed during the WWII) of Saint Joseph. A parade is held by the enthusiasts when the march reaches the vicinities of Kalkara Creek taunting the rival band club with cheering, singing, marches and sonnets. By the end of the march, the statue is raised on a pedestal in Holy Family Square opposite of the band club with pomp, paper cannons, fire crackers and aerial fireworks.
Thursday: A seated band concerts is organised by the band club ‘Għaqda Mużikali San Ġużepp’ in Kalkara Creek. Everyone is welcomed to attend. At the end of the concert, the same band club raises a statue of Saint Joseph on a pedestal in front of their band club with clapping and singing from the cheering enthusiasts accompanied with fire crackers and aerial fireworks.
Friday: A traditional lunch is organised in Holy Family Square by the members of the band club ‘Circolo San Giuseppe Filarmonika Sagra Familja’, then in the evening, a band march is organised by the same band in the upper parts of the village carrying a statue shoulder-high representing the Holy Family. A parade is held by the enthusiasts when the march reaches the Parish Church taunting the rival band club with cheering, singing, marches and sonnets. It is a tradition in Kalkara that during the route, several families put flowers and wreaths in the stick of Saint Joseph from home balconies along with cheering, clapping and throwing of paper shreds. By the end of the march, the statue is raised on a pedestal in Rnella Street with pomp, cheering, singing, dancing, paper cannons, fire crackers and aerial fireworks following by a ground fireworks display.
Saturday: A traditional lunch is organised in Kalkara Creek by the members of the band club ‘Għaqda Mużikali San Ġużepp’, then in the evening, a band march is organised by the same band in the lower parts of the village carrying a statue of a female warrior shoulder-high representing the triumphant Malta during the Great Siege. A parade is held by the enthusiasts when the march reaches Holy Family Square taunting the rival band club with cheering, singing, marches and sonnets. During the route, several families put flowers and wreaths in the flagpole held by the hands of the same statue from home balconies along with cheering, clapping and throwing of paper shreds. By the end of the march, the statue is raised on a pedestal in Kalkara Creek with pomp, cheering, singing, dancing, paper cannons, fire crackers and aerial fireworks following by a ground fireworks display.
Sunday: In the morning, a solemn mass is held in the Parish Church were parishioners and guests attend in glory of Saint Joseph. After, the two band clubs organises their own band marches with the cheering, singing and clapping of the crowds and enthusiasts. In the evening, the procession of Saint Joseph is held throughout the roads of Kalkara, everybody dresses in their fine clothes for the occasion. The fulcrum of the procession is reached when the devotional station of Saint Joseph is back on the parvis and inside the church, enthusiast and parishioners alike clap, sing and pray sonnets infront of the statue with great devotion. The celebrations came to an end with the blessing of the eucharist.
