Exploring Culture And Religion Of Malta

By Author: Steve
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Malta is predominately Roman Catholic.
The culture of Malta is the culture of the Maltese islanders and reflects various societies that have come into contact with the Maltese Islands throughout the centuries, including neighboring Mediterranean cultures, and the cultures of the nations that ruled Malta for long periods of time prior to its independence in 1964.

Maltese culture and religion
Maltese culture is generally considered to be a mix of influences brought to the island of Malta by the various rulers it has seen come and go over many centuries. It is a fact that the Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs all left their stamp on the customs and traditions of the Maltese and Malta’s history. However, age-old traditions have travelled through generations and have allowed the Maltese to retain their roots. A likely reason for the survival of originally Maltese traits is the drive to establish an own identity in the face of foreign rulers, and more certainly the reliance on maritime trade has helped to shape and conserve what we know now as being Maltese culture.

The development of modern Maltese culture
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... The culture of modern Malta has been described as a "rich pattern of traditions, beliefs and practices," which is the result of "a long process of adaptation, assimilation and cross fertilization of beliefs and usages drawn from various conflicting sources." It has been subjected to the same complex, historic processes that gave rise to the linguistic and ethnic admixture that defines who the people of Malta and Gozo are today.

Maltese culture has both Semitic and Latin European origins and a British legacy is also evident. The Latin European element is more readily apparent in modern Malta because of virtually continuous cultural impact on Malta over the past eight centuries and the fact that Malta shares the religious beliefs, traditions and ceremonies of its Sicilian and Southern European neighbors.

Religion in Malta
The country acknowledges freedom of religion but according to the constitution of Malta, Roman Catholicism is the state religion.
Although some 98% of the population profess that they’re Roman Catholics, only about 50% of the population attend religious services on a regular basis.

There are over 350 churches on the Maltese islands – that’s almost 1 church for every 1000 inhabitants.

Each town and village has its own parish Catholic Church which is the focal point, with most localities having multiple churches scattered across the locality.

If you love experiencing new cultures and traditions while on vacation, we're sure that you will notice other things that the Maltese people do differently. Some things in Malta breaks will really stand out for you, depending on where you hail from.

Steve is an articles writer whose major area of focus is travel. His articles on different travel topics like city break in Malta and city breaks to Malta are published on various online platforms. Don't forget to visit his site at http://www.citybreak.uk.com