1 Two clocks on the belfry
There are more than 360 churches across Malta's islands. Look closer at their bell towers and you may find more than one clock. And the truly vigilant will notice that only the clock on the right shows the correct time. This horological quirk is meant to confuse evil spirits from knowing when it's time for mass, thereby keeping worshippers safe.
2 Give bad luck the qrun!
Cattle horns mounted above the entrance of an old Maltese building are there to keep evil spirits at bay. The modern equivalent is using your fore- and little fingers to make the sign of the qrun (which translates as ‘bull’s horn’). Maltese will do this when talking about something good – as you might cross your fingers or knock on wood.
3 Party like a local
Maltese villages know how to party. Every village in Malta has a patron saint, and because every saint has a special day, there lies cause for celebration. A statue of said saint is paraded through decorated streets, soundtracked by live music. Expect good food, bad dancing and plentiful fireworks, with each village flaunting its pyrotechnic prowess.
4 Cream cake celebrations
What happens when you make trifle with sponge, booze, cream and garish glacé fruit? Prinjolata carnival cakes are the treat of choice when it’s festa time in Malta. They take their name from the pine nuts they’re made with and are crowned with a mountain of Dream Topping. Look out for them on café counters days before the floats and musicians arrive.
5 Boats with eyes
You never know what might be in a Maltese harbour…. Hungry fish, mooring buoys, evil spirits? Yes, that’s why you’ll often see a pair of eyes painted onto a traditional Maltese fishing boat or luzzu. Depicted on her bows, these are to ward off any evil spirits that might be lurking in a harbour or inlet.
6 Festive hot ‘chocolate’
Christmas in a cup, when in Malta, is a warming chocolatey chestnut drink called imbuljuta. Soaked chestnuts and their water are simmered with cloves, cinnamon, tangerine rind and chocolate to give this hot drink a wonderfully seasonal flavour. For extra festive points, drink it after midnight mass on Christmas Eve. It’s sometimes served on New Year’s Eve, too.
7 A healthy tradition of rivalry
Nothing to do with Pokemon, pika, strictly speaking, is a trait rather than a tradition… signifying a distinctly Maltese competitive spirit and thirst for rivalry. You can see it in the Maltese villages vying to hold the best festa. And some claim that the rebuilt dome of the Carmelite Basilica was designed deliberately to dwarf its Anglican rival.