Festas give working-class kids sense of community – study

In 1969, Dutch anthropologist Jeremy Boissevain suggested the possibility of the gradual decline of the Maltese village festa under pressure of modernity, locals moving out and away from the island.

And yet, Maltese festa refuses to die. Instead it grows in fireworks displays, takes the volume up to 11, and is now taking on a life disconnected from the religious modesty of the ‘internal’ feasts – the official, church-led feast.

Now a new research led by University of Malta senior lecturer in youth and community studies Andrew Azzopardi, which canvassed youth members of Maltese band clubs and pyrotechnic groups will show how more young people are engaged in festa organisation, closely involved in all that is happening.

“There seems to be a mix of socialization, devotion and spirituality. What seems to be significant is that the young people who are involved in the feasts are engaged because there is a sense of community and belonging, and this sense of community makes them come together to work for a common cause,” Azzopardi said.

The research also claims that beyond the fandom of parish saints, treated just like football teams, “there still is, in the majority of cases, an attempt to link up beyond the cult symbolisms.”

The study however says that the Maltese festa remains closed to people with a disability and those from diverse cultures. “The festa is a catalyst of youth engagement but also of identity formation and personality configuration. The passion for the festa is being passed on from one generation to another.”

Taking on anthropologist Boissevain’s own analysis back in the late 1960s and 1970s, the study also suggests that the migration of people to other villages so far has not impacted much on the fervour or the organisation of the feast. “Young people born and raised in that respective village feel that they are part of it.”

Festas also remain the preserve of the working class, rather than the professional class.

“The scale of involvement, the number of hours dedicated to the organization and the involvement of young people is a very clear indication that the festa is a religious feast first and foremost, and that young people feel attached to the patron saint in question.”

The study, which was organised together with band club members, will suggest to the government to develop a policy and a strategy on ‘young people and their involvement in feasts’.

“This research sets out to understand better at a national level what young people think about feasts, how it has affected them, how are they involved, whether feasts are an opportunity for social inclusion or not, whether there is openness towards diversity, whether there is the impact of the feast on the involvement of young people in the community, and what the role of parents is,” Azzopardi told MaltaToday.