Today marks 50 years since Malta became a free country and amended it’s constitution to fully transform into a Republic state, a monumental moment in Malta’s fight for emancipation.
13th December marks the day that Malta truly freed itself from all kinds of British control, going from a constitutional monarchy such as the United Kingdom and Australia, to a fully fledged democratic republic.
Transforming into a republic state came with a lot of changes for Malta, including the removal of Queen Elizabeth as the country’s Head of State and an all new and amended constitution.
Replacing Queen Elizabeth as Head of State was Malta’s first ever President, Sir Anthony Mamo.
Due to the importance of the occasion, Republic Day is celebrated every year in Malta on the 13th of December and is marked as one of the several national holidays the country has, alongside Independence Day, Freedom Day, Victory Day and Sette Giugno.
There are several traditional and annual events that usually take place every Republic Day, starting with the awards ceremony which sees the President of Malta award individuals with the ‘Ġieħ ir-Repubblika’, the highest honour a Maltese representative can achieve.
In addition to the award ceremony, Republic Day includes a stunning fireworks display over the Grand Harbour and a wreath-laying ceremony by state officials at the Republic Day monument in Marsa.
The celebrations conclude with the annual ‘Trooping the Colour’ military parade at St. George’s Square in Valletta.
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