The 8th of September is a very special holiday in Malta, as it encompasses three different events: the religious festival of the birth of the holy Virgin Mary, the day that the siege of 1565 ended, and the day on which the Italian army was defeated by the British in the Second World War. The festivities take place in Senglea, Naxxar, Mellieha, and Xaghra, on Gozo. Since 1878, the big harbour basin hosts a rowing regatta every year between six teams of Malta’s biggest harbour areas – a huge spectacle!