€28,000 To Carry Santa Marija Statue During Mġarr Village Feast

A family from Mġarr secured the honour of carrying the statue of Sta Marija during the village feast after winning this year’s traditional bidding contest with an offer of €28,000.

This year’s bidding session took place outside the church.

PN MP Ivan Castillo shared the footage of the bidding contest, which saw Wistin Vella and Christian Vella compete for the privilege, with the latter eventually securing the role after pledging €28,000.

The annual custom, which dates back to 1923, was introduced to raise funds for the construction of the parish church. Since then, the money collected through the event has continued to go towards the parish.

The tradition allows the winning group to carry the statue during the procession, although Fr Abela explained that other members of the community who are not part of the winning team will still be able to participate by carrying it along a designated section of the route.

Last year, Wistin Vella won the bid with an offer of €35,200, while the highest amount ever pledged for the honour was €46,000 in August 2022 by a group led by Vella.

The Mġarr feast is celebrated on the first Sunday after 15 August, when Sta Marija is commemorated across several towns and villages in Malta and Gozo.

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