The great celebration of Mnarja is very closely related to religion in Malta , and has many characteristics of a religious “Rite of Passage” celebration. (Turner and Turner 1982 : 201) This “rite of passage” may be seen as a seasonal rite of passage into the New Year. It follows many of the ideas set forth in the Liminality stage of a “Rite of Passage” celebration, although it does not fit exactly into that categorization. Mnarja is such a great celebration, because it affects everyone in every part of the Maltese culture.
Religion in Malta plays a large factor in the way the Mnarja celebrations are planned and carried out. Religion in Malta is closely related to the definition given by Turner and Turner (Turner and Turner 1982: 201), who state that religion has three parts: social, public, and systematic. (Turner and Turner 1982: 201) Mnarja shows that religion in Malta is social by gathering everyone together to celebrate the saints Peter and Paul. This is clearly a large social gathering with many parties and gatherings. The beliefs and practices are public, and everyone celebrates them together. Mnarja is also very systematic. It happens on the same day every year, and involves the same supernatural powers. (Cohen 1979) Every year the statue serves as the rallying point around Mnarja, and everyone believes it to be sacred. There is not one word to describe the religious aspects of Malta , but the definition given by Turner and Turner give an accurate description of Mnarja. (Turner and Turner 1982: 202)
There are many things in the Mnarja celebrations which could be labeled as “sacra.” (Turner and Turner 1982: 201) The first definition is the exhibition of the sacra, which states “sacra may include evocative instruments or sacred objects, such as relics or images of deities, heroes, ancestors, or saints: sacred drums or flutes, or other musical instruments.” (Turner and Turner 1982: 202) This definition follows very closely with the statue of two saints, Peter and Paul. Also in covered in this definition are the Mnarja Bands which play music all throughout the week, including during the Procession of the Statue.
The Mnarja celebration follows very closely with the liminal process of “rite of passage” celebrations. The first stage of liminality is the communication of sacra. (Turner and Turner: 202) Mnarja follows this very closely with the cultural tradition of displaying the statue of Peter and Paul. This statue is a very symbolic object that has been worshiped for many years. This display and the procession of the statue are closely related to the communication of the sacra, “symbolic objects and actions representing religious mysteries, frequently referring to myths about how the world and society, nature and culture, came into being.”(Turner and Turner: 202) The second stage of the liminal phase is “the encouragement of ludic recombination,” which is the element of play in the liminality process. (Turner and Turner: 202). The element of play is seen fairly obvious in the annual horse races that occur during Mnarja. These races are highly competitive, and allow all participants the opportunity to be involved in and play a large part in a highly competitive competition.
Mnarja affects every aspect of the culture of Malta . Many tourists and others from around the world go to Malta to experience this great tradition. This influx of people really boosts the economy of Malta . Some citizens use this as an opportunity to make a great deal of money. “Rabbit, wine and other local delicacies are consumed in great quantities. Besides traditional fare, however, one can also find hamburgers, hotdogs, ice-cream, doughnuts, candy-floss and much else.” (Wismayer 6/30/02 ) This wide variety of food shows that many citizens are willing to stray away from the traditional foods, selling American style foods trying to make money from the tourism. The traditional culture of eating only traditional foods has been overtaken by the tourists, and now people are changing the culture of the event to try to make money from the tourists. ”The sad fact is that what used to be a quaint agrarian fete has become so commercialized and overcrowded that Buskett, that old and gentle venue of this bacchanalian event is taking a serious roughing-up every year.” (Wismayer 6/30/02 )
Mnarja also affects the equality of the social structure in Malta . It was originally made famous by the peasants in the 15 th century. The peasants would use what is now called Mnarja Week to take their annual break from work. Every social class would get together and perform traditional ceremonies and have large social events. The same idea still applies today. This is the time of the year where everyone has an equal role in preserving the culture of Malta . ”This feast has always been considered as a special day for everyone.” (Mejlak: Mnarja Feature) All social classes get together and have a good time celebrating Mnarja.
Mnarja reinforces the culture of Malta . It is a tradition that has been around since the 15 th century, and is something that reminds every citizen of their culture. It is run almost the exact same way every year, and always ends with the ceremonial procession of the statue. It reinforces the religious beliefs of the culture as well as the traditional foods and religious ceremonies. One part of Mnarja that may be challenging to the culture is the tourism and the influx of outside influence on the culture. It has forced the citizens to cater to the tourists, which sometimes can negatively affect the culture.
The celebrations of Mnarja are very closely related to a “rite of passage” celebration, but Mnarja does have its own aspects that make it more than a seasonal rite of passage. The element of sacra is very important in the celebrations, because sacra helps keep the culture of Malta together, and reinforces the meaning of the celebrations. Mnarja is an event that everyone in Malta participates in one way or another.