Beautiful Sunset

Yesterday we were having a picnic in the northern part of our island and I took some sunset photos. It was difficult choosing which ones to post as I took alot!!

San Martin / St.Martin

St. Martin's Day (Jum San Martin in Maltese) is celebrated in Malta on the Sunday nearest to November 11. Children are given a bag full of fruits and sweets associated with the feast, known by the Maltese as Il-Borża ta' San Martin, "St Martin's bag". This bag includes St. Martin's Bread (Ħobża ta' San Martin), walnuts (ġewż), hazel-nuts (qastan), almonds (lewż), chestnuts (ġellewż), figs (tin), oranges (larinġ), tangerines (mandolin), apples (tuffieħ), pomegranates (rummien) amongst other things. There is a traditional rhyme associated with this custom:

Ġewż, Lewż, Qastan, Tin
Kemm inħobbu lil San Martin.

(Walnuts, Almonds, Chestnuts, Figs
I love Saint Martin so much.)

A feast is celebrated in the village of Baħrija on the outskirts of Rabat (Malta), including a procession led by the statue of St. Martin. There is also a fair, and a show for local animals. San Anton School, a private school on the island, organises a walk to and from a cave especially associated with St Martin in remembrance of the day.

Several places in Malta are named after this saint, including San Martin on the outskirts of St. Paul's Bay, and Ġebel San Martin outside of Żejtun.

Minestra -mixed vegetable soup

Come winter this vegetable soup is a common aroma inside Maltese homes. There are alot of versions, and everyone adds or discards whatever vegetables they like. This is how I make mine:

potatoes,
onion,
zucchini,
carrots,
cabbage,
cauliflower,
turnip,
pumpkin,
barley

Sweat the onion in some olive oil, then add some tomato paste for colour, salt, pepper and finally all the vegetables (cleaned and chopped) and water to cover. Let it boil on a low heat and once all the vegetables are cooked, either serve it as it is or mash it with the potato masher (this is how I serve it cause of the kids). This will certainly warm you up after a cold day. My husband likes to boil maltese sausage and eat it after with some maltese bread and 'gbejniet' (maltese cheese).

Rememberance Day

Remembrance Day – also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day (the event it commemorates) or Veterans Day – is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.) The day was specifically dedicated by King George V, on 7 November 1919, to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during war; this was possibly done upon the suggestion of Edward George Honey to Wellesley Tudor Pole, who established two ceremonial periods of remembrance based on events in 1917.[1]