A Maltese Summer

Malta is known for two things, her crystal beaches and the seemingly millions of festi
occurring across the island throughout the summer. However, the summer-long party and
the relaxation and freedom abundant in the Maltese summer months do not come without
their drawbacks, and is accompanied by the temperatures commonly found in a furnace.
Despite all the pros and cons though, nothing beats the sense of closeness that arises in a
Maltese summer.
Malta’s true beauty is showed off during the summer months, as the sky pulls back its
curtains, you will not see a single cloud in the sky throughout summer (except the infamous
week after Santa Marija). Just as blue as the sky, is the water; no Maltese person can last a
summer without cooling off in our world-renowned beaches. Our bays feature the most
majestic headlands, layered almost as if God laid out pancakes in the middle of the
Mediterranean, and golden sand of our beaches makes it seem like King Midas walked all
over the Maltese coast. As time passes throughout summer, you are sure to start seeing
statues, lights, and banners amongst other decorations to get ready for the village feast. For
a week during the summer, each town and village gets lit up to celebrate their patron saint.
One of the highlights of the village feast is when many people flock to their village square to
see Catherine wheels put on a dance, unmatched by even the greatest of flamenco dancers.
No matter what you do, or how early you sleep, there is simply no avoiding the colours
exploding across our night sky, that we call fireworks. From the early morning bombi that
wake you up (even if you do have holidays) to the booming fireworks shows at night
preventing you from sleeping. You also cannot last a summer without hearing the music
blaring from every bar and club in Malta, as the myriad of foreign students coming to learn
English party their nights away on our rock.
As they party away on our beaches, they are sure to enjoy the coarse yet soft feeling of
the sand across their feet. However, despite the beauty and majesty of the Maltese beaches
and festi, no matter how many air conditioners you have in your room, you cannot escape
the unbearable heat ever-present across the island and unfortunately, there is little that the
cold and creamy taste of ice-cream can do to alleviate the heat. It leaves nearly the entirety
of Malta flooded with sweat as sweat races out of every person’s pores, leaving you feeling
as sticky as an ice lolly left out in the sun. It feels as if there is constantly a sweaty snail,
slowly making its way down your spine. It hence goes without saying that with 500,000
sweaty people crowded on a tiny island, the smell is less than enjoyable. The second you
walk into any sports centre, the intense smell of sweat speeds up your nose, stinging your
olfactory nerves.
The heat does not just leave you physically sweaty and smelly, but also makes you
lazy both physically and mentally, leaving you to just want to lounge on a deck chair all
summer long. However, regardless of the heat, and the only thing better than our beaches,
is the insane sense of freedom and relaxation that spreads across the country. Students and
youths eagerly await the summer, when they can forget about their studies, and can spend
their days enjoying their time with their friends. Also, due to there not being school, there is
less traffic leading to less stress, and due to the much beloved Maltese summer past times
(such as swimming or fishing), nearly the entire country seems more relaxed than usual.
Also, families spend many of their evenings together, enjoying the weather by swimming or
having barbeques. This sense of closeness is simply not as easy to come by in winter, and is
the reason that I love the Maltese summer so much.
Yes the loud fireworks bother me, yes the heat makes me feel like I am drowning, but
if this is the trade-off for 3 months of freedom, relaxation, and closeness with family and
friends, I would double the heat, and double the noise levels.