About this festa

Birkirkara is Malta's most populous town and home to two distinct festas celebrated with remarkable passion. The town has a long history with the Assumption dating back centuries and holds one of the highest concentrations of historical devotion to Santa Marija on the islands. St Helen's festa in August is celebrated with equal intensity, the rivalry between the two parishes giving Birkirkara's festa season a unique competitive energy that draws crowds from across Malta. St Helen was the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity. Born around 248 AD, she became a devoted Christian and is credited with discovering the True Cross during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem around 326 AD. She founded churches across the Holy Land and is venerated as the patron saint of archaeologists, converts and difficult marriages.