The Maltese festa symbolises a community’s 'rite of passage', Oliver Friggieri had said in 2009, taking the side of those resisting the Church’s attempt to ‘restore feasts’
While Malta awaits the Maltese feast to be recognised as part of UNESCO’s intangible heritage list, published author Godfrey Farrugia sits down with MATTHEW FARRUGIA to discuss how this became possible, how feasts keep growing in popularity, and what challenges they may face in the future