For many decades it was the domain of men, but 12 women took it upon themselves to carry the heavy statue of St Lawrence in Vittoriosa on Thursday, the first time in the parish's history.

The event occurred during the traditional ‘Antiviġilja’ march on Thursday, the day before the eve of the feast of St Lawrence.

The statue, which depicts St Lawrence helping the poor, is particularly heavy because it features four figures. Typically, it takes 16 to 18 men to shoulder the statue.

The women carried it for an hour and a half down Triq il-Mina L-Kbira, while singing with the local marching band.

Maria Cassar Inguanez, one of the women who participated, expressed her excitement at being part of this historic moment.

"It was very heavy, but I am so proud I got to do this. We didn’t plan it; it just happened, and it was worth every second," she said.

Cassar Inguanez has been a regular attendee of the feast since childhood and is also actively involved in the preparations.

"If you work for the feast, you deserve to carry the statue. I think it is only fair," she added.

The women on their way to Il-Kolonna Photo: Chris Cassar

During the march, some men supported the women by helping to steady the statue from behind.

The women carried it until they reached Il-Kolonna (the column), where the statue was traditionally hoisted up with ropes, a method historically used for lifting heavy materials in the Isla Maċina.

The women in Vittoriosa are echoing trends in some other localities. In Marsaxlokk, for example, fishermen's wives carry the statue of Our Lady of Pompeii during the feast as a gesture of gratitude for protecting their husbands at sea.