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Celebrating Carnival in Malta

The weekend starting the 17th of February will be a colourful and joyous one in Malta this year as the much awaited Carnival takes place. Five days of fancy dress celebrations, contests, floats and parties reign during the last week before Ash Wednesday in various towns and villages across the islands, with the greatest festivities taking place in Malta’ s capital Valletta and neighbouring Floriana.

Malta has been celebrating the Carnival since the Knights of St. John in the 1950s – when the knights used to play games and perform during pageants and tournaments. Celebrations took a different shape as time progressed and the islands where under the reign of different empires. Carnival parades during the British period for instance made use of more satirical themes and poked fun at political figures through floats and fancy dress.

Today the largest celebration takes place in Valletta and Floriana, featuring the infamous parata which is a cheery re-enactment of the victory of the Knights over the Turks back in the 1560s. A number of themed colourful floats move up the main roads in Valletta and Floriana as they compete for the best float of the year. All floats are leaded by the “Re tal-Karnival” (King Carnival).

During Carnival, you will find a lot of perlini in food shops which are sugar coated almods in different colours, ranging from pink, to yellow, blue and more. The Prinjolata is another loved sweet in Malta, consisting mainly of biscuits, sponge cakes, almonds, dried citrus fruits and cream.

Carnival is an interesting time of the year to visit Malta – accommodation close to the celebrations is easy to find. Whether it is a luxury 5 star hotel or a smaller guesthouse you are after, at Valletta you may find it all. Ideally you book your accommodation in advance to avoid disappointment.