What gravitates the people to this distinct Carnival is its spontaneity. It only starts when the people come and finishes when they leave - that’s how spontaneous it is! Of course, the Nadurins continue their celebrations right up to the early hours of the next day, and maybe this is what makes it so different to the structured one in Victoria. When it’s just beginning, the one in Victoria is over. So much so, that the streets are deserted; shops are closed for the night; and the people themselves drive up to Nadur!
 
So, when does this fiesta take place? - it starts on a Saturday and ends on a Tuesday. And what’s so exciting about it?! For a start, it is a unique experience and more so to be a part of it. The fact that it is not something organised makes it all the more attractive and astounding at the same time, because out of its unconstrained revelry, emerges a natural reflection of Maltese characters from all walks of life. People gather on both sides of December 13th Street to watch the manoeuvres and lively jests of these masquerades, who parade up and down mimicking and daring under the safe hiding of the Mask. What is so unique and exhilarating to see this experience is the mass confusion of spectacle and colour, and the masked and hooded creatures making their way through a hub of noise.

They say that the Carnival in the old times was a celebration for male revelers only. But not so in Nadur! Some of the locals even remember women who took part in the ‘Ghana’ the traditional folk songs, and others who dressed up as men. Many still do it and take great pains to hide their femininity! On the other hand, there are the men who dress up as women in an outrageous way, which leaves no doubt to their masculinity. Somehow, they just love the idea of going out with an ample bust and sexy legs, if somewhat hairy, tottering around on high heels! Accompanying them, is always the music which enlivens the atmosphere even more. An endless rhythm created by the guitar, the castanets, the tambourine, the triangle and the ‘raboba’ adding a touch to the celebration.. The musicians gather inside a bar, followed by cavorting revelers who dance to the enticing melody heard only during such time. The effect is a pulsating rhythm, a swirling of movement, a clamour of sound and a medley of costumes, from the highly sophisticated to sheer rags.

In contrast to this sonorous atmosphere, is the uncanny silence of the masquerades themselves. They perambulate by, oblivious of the hubbub around them until they see a familiar face in the crowd. A quaint kind of communication commences, in which the Mask teasingly hides the identity and every effort of association is greeted with a negative gesture. Then, by a gallant wave of the hand the silent conversation ends as quickly as it began. This shielding of identity is the main point of everything in this Carnival, because what is celebrated is the individual seen in the various simulations of professions and trades - a parody of reality. All these personalities utterly defy any description. Grotesque masks bought locally or sent from abroad rival with home-made ones, made out of cloth with holes cut into them. Creativity is the word to describe the junk which serves a purpose - rags, bed sheets, broken prams and pushcarts, farming implements, and bedraggled mattresses (usually occupied by a couple sprawled upon them), chain-saws revving away with cutting chains removed, a horse seemingly berserk, prancing up and down the street and occasionally popping into a bar for a drink, boiler suits, or a brilliant representation of a man strolling by upside down. What goes on along with all this is the tremendous sense of humour; the action; the complexity of these creations; the desire for grotesque fun; and the teasing anonymity of the masquerades.

One may ask the puzzling question of why does it happen only in Nadur?! Definitely one reason for it is because the Nadurins care enough in keep the tradition alive; so much so that it is more popular and looked forward to than the local ‘festa’! They even have a float Carnival on a Sunday afternoon built by the Nadurins for the Nadurins!

Whatever the reason, its magnetism is a winning one. And certainly, Carnival in Nadur is just not the same if one does not participate. So, for a couple of hours, I put down my camera and crept back to join in the revelry.

(First published in 1997 Edition of The Scream)

Go back to aboutmalta.com: Gozo & Comino