When Malta Carnival takes place in 2012? How long will it last?
The Traditional annual Malta Carnival will take place this year, 2012, in the second half of this month, from February 17 to February 21. The Costumes Carnival of Malta will run for 5 days with many festive parades, dances, music, decorated floats in the street, with many people celebrate, and dressed with colorful or funny costumes and with masks. The focus of the events, especially with respect to tourism aspects, is at the Valletta, capital of Malta. During the five evenings of Malta's Carnival 2012, there going to be many parties and late night events in Valletta's nightclubs, mainly in Paceville are, one of main nightlife centers of the Maltese capital. The combination of parades and costumes processions during the day along with continuous nightly celebrations and late-night parties and events (some for a fee) creates a festive atmosphere of ongoing carnaval. Even though Valletta usually concentrates the most interest in Malta Carnival, one should note that the annual carnival in February also held in many other town and villages across the island and in the nearby Maltese island of Gozo. In this context, it should be note that the costumes carnival events at Nadur, located in Gozo Island, northwest of Malta, tend to be more humoristic & funny tones. In addition to the official Carnival events in Nadur, which organized by the local council of Nadur, there are plenty of local free & spontaneous events at the town square, such as performances by local bands, humoristic costumes & masks shows etc.
As in 2012 Malta carnival's events in Valletta, the Nadur carnival's events also include public and official events and parades alongside and together with private evening parties and late night events, organized by local producers and parties' organizers. Another local center for Malta Carnival events is the town of Floriana, 2 Kilometers southwest of Valletta, at Grand Harbor area.
The origins of Malta's Carnival are Christians religious and its roots goes back to the 16th century, when the Maltese people wanted to celebrate Carnival as did the knight of St. John, who celebrated the whole week before Ash Wednesday until one day before "Ash Wednesday". Indeed, according to Roman Catholicism, this year (2012) Ash Wednesday occurs on February 22nd and that's the reason why Malta's Carnival ends on Tuesday, 21 of February 2012, day before the Ash Wednesday. By the way, many Christian communities celebrate the famous Mardi gras (Fat Tuesday) events on the same Tuesday, a day before the Ash Wednesday. The Ash Wednesday opens the Lent: a period of approximately 40 to 45 days full with a series of Christian religious events under the title of Days of Repentance" that ends on Easter, in early April. The Mardi gras, as Malta Carnival, started as a religious event, but over the years, it became a cultural event with street festivals, parades and many colorful and musical shows and happenings. That is why Malta Carnival ends on Tuesday.
In summary, according to "Visit Malta", the official tourism site for Malta, Gozo & Comino, the 2012 Annual Malta Carnival will be held in Valletta (Nalta's Capital), Floriana and Nadur on the Island of Gozo from 17 to 21 of February 2012, as you may read here.
The official events of Malta's Carnival in Valletta, from Friday till the following Tuesday, are organized by Malta Council for Culture & the Arts. Some events are free and open and others may require entrance fee. According to Malta's official tourism site, a big celebration & happening planned for the last day of the Carnival and it will end with grand finale - A big fireworks show over the main street of Floriana. For further info about 2012 Malta's Carnival on Malta Council for Culture & the Arts website, click here.
Many travel agencies and international tourist websites offer holiday's packages and special vacations for Malta Carnival, during February 2012. It is strongly recommended to exact check-in and checkout dates and flights dates of those packages and to verify that there us a full overlap or at least partially overlap between the dates of the offered package holiday and Malta's Carnival dates (17.02.2012-21.02.2012). Additionally, one should compare the hotels in all deals and packages, their level and their location with reference to the carnival's main sites and attractions.
For your convenience, please find below links to websites in fields of Accommodations, flights, rental cars & Holiday packages
Search for Hotels, B&B, Hostels & Apartments in the Island of Malta
For Hotels & other Accommodations on Booking.com, click here
For Hotels & other Accommodations on Venere.com, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Hotels.com, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Hotel.Info, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Agoda.com, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on HomeAway, click here
For Hostels & Other Accommodations on HostelBookers, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Bed&Breakfas.com, click here
Search for Hotels, B&B, Hostels & Apartments in Valletta capital
For Hotels & other Accommodations on Booking.com, click here
For Hotels & other Accommodations on Venere.com, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Hotels.com, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Hotel.Info, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Agoda.com, click here
For Hostels & Other Accommodations on HostelBookers, click here
Search for Hotels, B&B, Hostels & Apartments in Sliema
For Hotels & other Accommodations on Booking.com, click here
For Hotels & other Accommodations on Venere.com, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Hotels.com, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Hotel.Info, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Agoda.com, click here
For Hostels & Other Accommodations on HostelBookers, click here
Search for Hotels, B&B, Hostels & Apartments in Saint Julian's
For Hotels & other Accommodations on Booking.com, click here
For Hotels & other Accommodations on Venere.com, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Hotels.com, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Hotel.Info, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Agoda.com, click here
For Hostels & Other Accommodations on HostelBookers, click here
Search for Hotels, B&B, Hostels & Apartments in Qawra & St. Paul's Bay
For Hotels & other Accommodations on Booking.com, click here & here
For Hotels & other Accommodations on Venere.com, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Hotels.com, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Hotel.Info, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Agoda.com, click here
For Hostels & Other Accommodations on HostelBookers, click here
Search for Hotels, B&B, Hostels & Apartments in the Island of Gozo
For Hotels & other Accommodations on Booking.com, click here
For Hotels & other Accommodations on Venere.com, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Hotels.com, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Hotel.Info, click here
For Hotels & Other Accommodations on Agoda.com, click here
For Hostels & Other Accommodations on HostelBookers, click here
Search for Rental Cars in Malta
For rental cars on Carshire3000, click here
For rental cars on Sixt, click here
For rental cars on Alamo, click here
For rental cars on Hertz, click here
For rental cars on HolidayAutos, click here
For rental cars on CarRentals, click here
Search for Flights, Hotels & Packages Holidays
For Flights, hotels & Packages on Expedia.com, click here
For Flights, hotels & Packages on Orbitz.com, click here
For Flights, hotels & Packages on Priceline, click here
For Flights, hotels & Packages on Bookingbuddy, click here
For Flights, hotels & Packages on Hotwire, click here
For Holiday Packages on easyJet holidays, click here
For Flights on Skyscanner, click here
For Flights on cheapOair, click here
For Flights of British Airways, click here
For Flights of Air France, click here
For Flights of Austrian Airlines, click here
For Flights of Air Berlin, click here
For Flights of KLM, click here
For Flights of Swiss, click here
For Flights of El-Al, click here
For Flights of Iberia, click here
For Flights of Malev, click here
For Flights of LOT, click here
(February 2012)