Culture & Society

The Maltese are a people of contradictions — and that is precisely what makes them so fascinating. On an island smaller than Munich, a unique culture has developed that combines Mediterranean zest for life with British order, Arabic linguistic traditions with Italian temperament, and deep religiosity with remarkable openness to the world.

Religion & Village Festivals (Festas)

Malta is one of the most Catholic countries in the world: over 85% of the population is Catholic, and the church permeates daily life more than in almost any other European country. Every village (Malta has over 360 churches for 542,000 inhabitants — that's a world record per capita!) annually celebrates the Festa of its patron saint with a multi-day festival: processions with the saint's statue through decorated streets, brass bands, illuminated church facades, and spectacular fireworks that rank among the best in the world. From June to September, almost every weekend there is a Festa somewhere in Malta — an experience not to be missed.

Family & Society

The family is the center of Maltese life. Sunday meals with the extended family are sacred, children are adored, and grandparents play a central role in childcare. Malta is a place where neighbors know each other, where people chat in the village square in the evenings, and where the nonna still keeps rabbits in the backyard.

At the same time, Malta has passed remarkably progressive laws in recent years: same-sex marriage (since 2017), anti-discrimination laws, and transgender rights. Malta was ranked by ILGA-Europe as No. 1 in Europe for LGBTQ+ rights — a remarkable transformation for such a traditionally Catholic country.

Maltese (Il-Malti) is one of the most fascinating languages in the world — and a living testament to Malta's turbulent history. It is the only Semitic language written in Latin script, and the only Arabic language that is an official language of an EU country.

The foundation is a North African Arabic dialect from the time of Arab rule (870–1091 AD). Layered upon this are massive influences from Sicilian and Italian (centuries under southern Italian rule) and English (British colonial period). The result is a language partially understandable to Arabic speakers, yet also containing words recognizable to any German: “skola" (school), “natura" (nature), “kompjuter" (computer).

Useful Words & Pronunciation

Most Maltese speak fluent English — it is the second official language and the language of instruction in schools. Many also speak Italian (due to TV reception from Sicily). For tourists, English is completely sufficient, but a “Bonġu" or “Grazzi" is rewarded with a warm smile.