Carnival in Gozo
If you want a change of pace and a more diverse theme, why not check out the Nadur Carnival on Gozo. Although carnival celebrations aren’t as bombastic as they are in Malta, especially youths flock to the village of Nadur for a massive carnival party in the streets.
The beloved carnival sees thousands making their way to the festivities, as funnies and attractions fill up the locality. And of course, people attend with their most outlandish and creative costumes.
More than 47,000 people crossed over to Gozo for the carnival weekend last week, according to figures provided by the Gozo ministry.
Between Wednesday and Sunday, Gozo Channel boats ferried almost 15,700 vehicles and almost 42,500 passengers from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr.
The four ferries crossed the channel more than 500 times that weekend. Gozo’s main attraction over the weekend was the annual spontaneous carnival in Nadur.
Between Thursday and Sunday, another 4,800 passengers took the fast ferry from Valletta’s Grand Harbour to Gozo.
The busiest day for Gozo Channel was Sunday, when it carried almost 5,000 vehicles and more than 14,000 passengers from Gozo back to Malta.
The channel this year was roughly equally busy as in previous years, although slightly fewer passengers crossed over to Gozo this year, compared to last year, when almost 48,000 passengers went to Gozo via Ċirkewwa alone.
Thousands of people paraded around the main square of Nadur and the streets surrounding the church dressed in all sorts of costumes, from cereal bowls to skiers, gorillas and government workers.
A group of people dressed up as Buddhist monks, another group took out a piano in the street and another dressed up as elderly ladies playing their pension away at bingo.
Even mega-developer Joseph Portelli – who hails from Nadur – showed up dressed as a chef.
But one of the highlights was a drove of pigs led by a person dressed up as Rosianne Cutajar holding a placard reading “Kulħadd Jitħanżer” (everybody pigs out).
Cutajar had texted that phrase to her friend, Yorgen Fenech back in 2019, as she complained about being left out of cabinet.
Elsewhere in Nadur, other revellers took aim at Benna’s hike in milk prices with a carnival float lampooning the company.
The floats at the Nadur carnival always have the same square format in wood and metal – and constructed to bex able to support the weight of the participants on it. This is the Nadur carnival.
Over the years, even its name has been changed – it used to be known as the macabre carnival, when the residents used to turn out with whatever they could put together.
Charles Xuereb, a ‘Naduri’ born and bred, says his relatives used to meet up in bars in the past to celebrate carnival.
A small group would meet up, an accordion player, someone playing the rabbuba, castanets or drums, and they would create typical carnival music.
Charles Xuereb
At the time, one bar after another in Nadur would take part in this spontaneous activity which created a unique blend of entertainment.
This differs completely from activities in Valletta and Rabat, Gozo. Nadur has a different carnival, a macabre carnival as it is considered the poor man’s carnival.
Those taking part in the Nadur carnival generally use whatever they manage to find in the house. It could be a chair no longer in use, which has now been ‘re-invented’ for the carnival. The owner would carry it around, wearing a sack linked to the particular item.
Charles Xuereb
Just a stone’s throw away from Nadur Square, we came across some Nadur youths from the High Life Brothers group putting the finishing touches to their float. They have been taking part for the past ten years.
There is always much interest every year. I can’t remember a year when we might have considered not taking part. We always start in November.
Matthias
Traditionally, we prepare something to show off to the people, for fun. Besides our float, there are eight others this year. All different. Two are not village entrants, the rest are from Nadur.
Wayne
