Republic Day ( Maltese: Jum ir-Repubblika) is a public holiday celebrated in

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

on 13 December. It celebrates the anniversary of the creation of the

Republic of Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. On 13 December 1974, the constitution of Malta revised, which resulted in the transforming the State of Malta into a republic, effectively abolishing the role of Reġina ta' Malta (

Queen of Malta Elizabeth II was Queen of Malta ( mt, Reġina ta' Malta) as head of state of Malta from 1964 to 1974. Malta was an independent sovereign state and a constitutional monarchy, sharing a monarch with other Commonwealth realms, including the Un ...

) in the country. That same year, Sir

Anthony Mamo Sir Anthony Joseph Mamo, (9 January 1909 – 1 May 2008) was the first president of Malta and previously served as the last Governor-General of the State of Malta before the country became a republic. He was also the first Maltese citize ...

was named as the first president of the country. British troops did not leave the country until 31 March 1979.

Events on 13 December

The main state sponsored celebrations take place in the center of the country's capital,

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 ...

. The National Festivities Committee is responsible for organizing Republic Day events annually.

Awards ceremony

The

President of Malta The president of Malta ( mt, President ta' Malta) is the constitutional head of state of Malta. The President is indirect election, indirectly elected by the House of Representatives of Malta, which appoints the president for a five-year term a ...

usually presents awards to those who have served Malta in the military/political sphere and public figures who are considered to be effective representatives of the country.

Fireworks

A fireworks display is annually held over the Grand Harbour.

Monument

A wreath laying ceremony is held at the Republic Day Monument in Marsa. Monuments are also erected during the holiday for wreath laying procedures.

Military parade

A traditional

Trooping the Colour Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed every year in London, United Kingdom, by regiments of the British Army. Similar events are held in other countries of the Commonwealth. Trooping the Colour has been a tradition of British infantry regi ...

ceremony and parade is the main military event that takes place on the day. The parade takes place in St. George’s Square in

, where the Presidential Colour is trooped through the ranks of the

Armed Forces of Malta The Armed Forces of Malta ( mt, Forzi Armati ta' Malta) is the name given to the combined armed services of Malta. The AFM is a brigade sized organisation consisting of a headquarters and three separate battalions, with minimal air and naval ...

. The salute is taken by the

, in their position as the commander in chief of the AFM. It is similar to the British version of the ceremony, with the parade being composed of 1 Colour Escort Guard and 3 other Guard units, accompanied by the

Armed Forces of Malta Band The Armed Forces of Malta Band ( mt, Banda tal-Forzi Armati ta' Malta) is a Maltese platoon-sized musical group representing the units of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM). The AFM Band is a regular participant in official events and ceremonies, most ...

. In the march-past, two marches are performed, ''

By Land and Sea By or BY may refer to: Places * By, Doubs, France, a commune * By, Norway, a village Codes * Belarus ISO country code ** .by, country-code top-level domain for Belarus * Burundi FIPS Pub 10-4 and obsolete NATO digram country code * TUI Airw ...

'' (for the march in slow time) and ''

The British Grenadiers "The British Grenadiers" is a traditional marching song of British, Australian and Canadian military units whose badge of identification features a grenade, the tune of which dates from the 17th century. It is the Regimental Quick March of the R ...

'' (for the march in quick time). At the conclusion of the ceremony, the guards perform a ceremonial ''

Feu de joie A feu de joie (French: "fire of joy") is a form of formal celebratory gunfire consisting of a celebratory rifle salute, described as a "running fire of guns." As soldiers fire into the air sequentially in rapid succession, the cascade of blank ro ...

''.

Links

Republic Day Parade 2018Republic Day Parade 2017Republic Day Parade 2013

References

{{Commons category-inline, Republic Day (Malta) Public holidays in Malta

December observances Annual events in Malta Autumn events in Malta