Carnival in Gozo : waning traditions and thriving celebrations

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show how the celebration of Carnival in Gozo can be inscribed into a more general revitalization of public celebration that is occurring in Europe. I show how carnival reflects and is influenced by economic and social development in Gozo. Villages have ceased to remain tightly knit agricultural communities, they have become integrated in more complex ways with the wider society. This change has in turn affected the type of celebration itself. Ritualistic patterns are being abandoned, or persist only because they are backed by the authorities. By contrast, the current expansion of public celebrations in Europe can be witnessed by the revitalization that occurs in the types of carnival that encompass new forms and new meanings. These not only generate new interest, but also penetrate the more rigid forms of celebration. I focus here on the three prevalent forms of carnival in Gozo, which are to be found mainly in Xaghra, Rabat and Nadur.