This time of the year is one of the most exciting, colourful and appealing times of the year. It's the time when the Maltese culture comes out fully alive to the wonder of the many tourists who happen to be around. It's no surprise that cameras are continuously clicking in order to catch on films these creative, festive and emotional scenes tinged with some type of religiosity.

Inside the building of the churches celebrations become truly alive as they make an exception and take a different approach where colours, ornaments, flowers and an unusually a high dose of emotions take place. People's choice is for the Addolorata where they identify with her wounds their own miseries, pain, guilt and suffering. It's surely a crowd puller.

People throng to visit 'seven churches' on Maundy Thursday. Christians kneel, reflect and pray beside the tomb of Christ. Good Friday gives a sombre outlook where churches are deprived from the traditional ornamental style for a single day. Red resembling the Blood of Christ is splashed all over the place. The situation changes completely the next day in the evening. Celebrations start in pitch darkness. They are then illuminated by flickering candle lights. Finally there is an 'explosion' of light where churches are suddenly illuminated with candles, chandeliers, bulbs, floodlights etc. Bells toll happily as they break the night's normal silence in order to announce Christ's central event - resurrection, exactly when the singing of the 'Glorja' commences.

Faith can be witnessed outside the church's building especially at this time of the year. People who prefer acting in the streets rather than in closed theatres are in for a special treat where live processions and pageants are the order to the day. On Good Friday Malta is turned into Roman and Jewish pageantry. In the inner core of villages one comes near Pontius Pilate and Barabbas! Sometimes the procession has nearly the whole biblical story and hence may include Adam and Eve too. People do some odd penitence such as carrying heavy weights or walking barefoot! Some cover up their faces as they pay the price for a special grace they received.

If one likes food then there are very special and unique Maltese delicacies. The kwarezimal and the figolli top the list yet other food items are also present such as the Lent's ftajjar; Karamelli; hot cross buns and Pastarjali food are also present. Although in Lent the traditional Maltese fast, yet the street vendors are as busy as bees in keeping up with the heavy demand!

Recipes for such delicacies together with insight on how the Maltese people mark the holy week and celebrate Easter are gathered in this Special Feature. Use the links on the menu at the left of the page to navigate through the articles.

Courtesy of Malta Media - www.maltamedia.com