Feast of the Sacred Heart

I fully agree with Carmel H. Psaila from Sliema who wrote (July 16) congratulating the parish priest of Sacro Cuor in Sliema for a petard-free feast, especially as at the very moment of writing I keep hearing unnecessary bangs for festas happening now...

I fully agree with Carmel H. Psaila from Sliema who wrote (July 16) congratulating the parish priest of Sacro Cuor in Sliema for a petard-free feast, especially as at the very moment of writing I keep hearing unnecessary bangs for festas happening now and more will come in the coming weeks.

But I go one step further... The fireworks organised for the feast of Sacro Cuor are let off at the Strand, Sliema.

Is the outdoor festivities committee waiting for some nasty accident before it decides to stop this practice?

This year, the young choir of the University of Edinburgh was there to enjoy the marvellous concert given by the band and obviously they stayed to see the fireworks but many of them were terrified when bits of wood, metal and ashes were flying on bystanders.

A parliamentary secretary was there to enjoy the festa and when someone remarked that this practice was dangerous, he said: Part of life on our island!

Apparently these fireworks used to be let off from some barge in the middle of the creek but for some reason this practice was stopped. They are now let off about three feet away from the crowd. And there is always a crowd because the concert is always worth listening to. The band always presents a good programme.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.