An Arab's view of XIX century Malta (Chap. IV)

Abstract

The Maltese who want to show off their wealth dress in the same way as Europeans, except that their women wear a wrap of black silk, and, instead of a hat, a covering of the same material over their heads. There is nothing uglier than the sight of these black clothes in the summer. Some Maltese women imitate Englishwomen in their dress, but when they go to church they wear their traditional costume, the notion being that black is more seemly in church and more consonant with assiduity in prayer; even so do ignorant Syrian Christians fancy that it does not befit him who wears trousers over his clothes to approach the altar of the Church.