As Naxxar prepares to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Victory on September 8 some victims of the fireworks explosion, which killed two locals earlier this year, feel disappointed that celebrations will go on despite the tragedy.
"This year the feast is nothing but salt in the wound for all my family," said Mary Sammut, the sister-in-law of 35-year-old mother-of-two Sina Sammut who died in her home when a blast rocked Triq Ħal Dgħejf on March 12.
"My family and I are very disappointed that the feast is going ahead... She (Sina) died because of fireworks... Her children are still living the trauma...," she added.
She pointed out that Marsaxlokk had cancelled the external festivities of Our Lady of Pompeii earlier this month as a sign of mourning for the victims of the Simshar tragedy and, last year, Birkirkara's St Helen outdoor festivities were called off after five men died in an explosion at the St Helen Fireworks Factory.
"Sina died in her own home because of fireworks. She was not manufacturing fireworks in a factory," she insisted, "and yet the feast is going ahead".
The explosion that killed Sina Sammut is suspected to have been caused by the other victim of incident - 47-year-old Paul Camilleri - when he was allegedly manufacturing fireworks inside his garage that neighboured the Sammuts' house.
Three houses were completely demolished in the blast and others badly damaged.
"When they came to place the feast lights on the façade of my house, I told them to remove them... Let them place them somewhere else... I won't let them attach the lights to my house," Mary Attard said.
She added that it angered her when, a few days ago, she received a flyer in which local councillors said they thought the Peace Band Club should be re-opened by the time of the feast.
The band club has been closed down ever since the police found fireworks stored in the basement, shortly after the explosion. The entire band committee were charged in court over these allegations.
Another Naxxar resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, also felt that the feast ought to be cancelled as a sign of solidarity with the victims of the Naxxar explosion.
"It would make more sense if the money used for the feast went to helping the victims," he said adding he feared there may be trouble during the feast when both the Peace Band Club and the Victory Band Club will be playing marches.
Peace Band Club secretary Victor Gauci confirmed that the band will be participating in the festivities. He said he understood the suffering that explosion victims faced and the club was "ready to play our part to limit the extent of the feast."
More details will be revealed in a statement to be issued today, he said.
The vice-president of the Victory Band Club, Vince Debono, said that, once the external festivities committee decided that the feast would be held, the club tried to "include signs of mourning".
Fireworks that are usually fired throughout the six-day celebrations will only be fired on the last two days and the march will cut down its performances.
The usual precautions would be taken to avoid trouble during the feast and this would be done with the help of the police.
Questions were sent to Naxxar's archpriest Evan Caruana, regarding the decision to go ahead with the feast, but no answer was forthcoming by late yesterday evening.