The eighth of September carries three victories and one long lunch. A note on what the day means and what ends up on the table.
The eighth of September is one of those Maltese dates that does a lot of work. The end of the Great Siege in 1565. The end of the Ottoman blockade. The end of the siege of 1943. Three centuries, three sieges, one holiday.
Which is a heavy amount of history for a day that most families spend eating.
The regatta, and then lunch
The boats go out in the Grand Harbour, the colours come out, and by the early afternoon the point of the day has quietly shifted from commemoration to the table. Rabbit, usually. Something roasted. Wine that nobody is measuring.
It is worth remembering that a fenkata was always a bit political — a Maltese family eating rabbit was, once, a small act of defiance against the rules about who could hunt it. Victory Day is a good afternoon to think about that between mouthfuls.
Three sieges survived. The correct response is a long lunch.
The eighth of September is one of those Maltese dates that does a lot of work. The end of the Great Siege in 1565. The end of the Ottoman blockade. The end of the siege of 1943. Three centuries, three sieges, one holiday.
Which is a heavy amount of history for a day that most families spend eating.
The regatta, and then lunch
The boats go out in the Grand Harbour, the colours come out, and by the early afternoon the point of the day has quietly shifted from commemoration to the table. Rabbit, usually. Something roasted. Wine that nobody is measuring.
It is worth remembering that a fenkata was always a bit political — a Maltese family eating rabbit was, once, a small act of defiance against the rules about who could hunt it. Victory Day is a good afternoon to think about that between mouthfuls.
Three sieges survived. The correct response is a long lunch.
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