Mqabba
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Template:Towns (Malta) Mqabba or Imqabba (English: Micabba)[1][2] is a small village in the south of Malta, with a population of 3,021 inhabitants (Nov 2005).
- It is famous for its limestone quarries.
- Extinct animals were found in Ta' Xantin and Ta' Kandja Quarries.
- Paleo Christian catacombs are found in this village - known as Ta' Mintna.
Amongst other important structures, one can find Vincenti Tower, and various chapels such as the Chapel of St. Basil, Our Lady of Sorrows, St. John and St.Catherine of Alexendria.
The main church is dedicated to Assumption of Our Lady. Santa Marija feast in celebrated on the 15th of August. Other feasts celebrated - the feast of Our Lady of Lilies (Madonna tal-Gilju)is a secondary fesat and is celebrated the week ending in the third Sunday of June, The feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrated the nearest Sunday for 8 December, other secondary feasts include Our Lady of Sorrows, Corpus Domini and Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.
The titular statue found in the church, that of the Assumption of the blessed Mother of God, was executed by Alessandro Farrugia in 1836 and was made similar to the statue of the Assumption which is found in Ghaxaq, made out of wood. The photograph shows the statue in its original form, as it was prior to 1928, when a new sarcophagus made of silver replaced the original wooden one seen in the picture. Apart from the sarcophagus, the statue itself has lost none of its characteristics.
The Assumption of Mary is celebrated on 15 August, and is also celebrated in Qrendi, Gudja, Ghaxaq, Mosta, Attard and Victoria (Gozo). It is all celebrated in the same day, as a tradition.
Sunday June 1, 2008, was the day of the restoration and illumination inauguration of the Façade. The Ceremony, starting off at 7:30 pm was under the Patronage of Martin Galea, Executive President of ‘Din L-Art Helwa’. The Banda Madonna tal-Gilju executed a musical programme in the village square before of an audience of 800 souls accommodated along Karmenu Ciantar Street.
Fireworks displays
The parish feast which is organised between the 8th and 15th August, brings to Mqabba a great number of Fireworks enthusiasts as the St. Mary Fireworks Factory is a world renowned Fireworks group who has brought honours on both national and the international stage. The group won the Malta Fireworks Festival in 2005 and brought the most important honour in the villages history when it was able to compete against 7 of the world's most succesfull firework companies winning the world chanpionship in Rome named Caput Lucis in 2007.
The secondary feast fireworks displays take place between 7–16 June 2008, the Feast in Honour of Our Lady of Lilies was celebrated in the Maltese village of Mqabba. Ground and Aerial Fireworks display were held on each day of the Feast. The main fireworks event was held on Saturday 14 June, eve of the Feast starting at 9:45 pm.
International Fireworks Festival Awards
St. Mary's Fireworks Factory has won the first Malta International Fireworks Festival in April 2006 and the Caput Lucis 'Campionato Mondiale di Fuochi d'Artificio d'Autore' held in Rome in August 2007. The band of the Socjeta' Santa Marija (of which the St. Mary Fireworks Factory forms part) also won the award 'Etoile d'Or du Jumelage', a European Union award for twinning.
Band Clubs
- Society of St. Mary and King George V Band Club (Socjeta' Santa Marija u Banda Re Ġorġ V) - www.santamarija.com
- Our Lady of Lily Band Club - Lily Band (Is-Soċjetà Mużikali Tal-Ġilju - Banda Lily) www.talgilju.com
In political terms, Mqabba is one of the very few villages in Malta, if not the unique village whose residents are equally divided between the two main Maltese political parties being the Malta Labour Party and the Nationalist Party
