SETTE GIUGNO: EXPLAINED S e t t e G iug n o is a M alt es e national holiday ce le brate d annually on 7 June. It c o mm emo rate s eve nts which occurre d on that d a y in 1 9 1 9 w hen , fo llowing a se rie s of riots by the Malte se p op u lat io n, Br it is h t ro o ps fire d into the crowd, killing four
Sette Giugno, the seventh of June, is one of five national holidays in Malta. Unfortunately, for many, Sette Giugno merely translates to a day off work and an opportunity to sip a cocktail near the sea. Though we appreciate that sipping that cocktail is a beautiful experience in itself, we also believe that it is crucial to learn about Malta’s history and why we have national holidays in the first place. What is Sette Giugno all about? Meaning ‘Seventh of June’ in Italian, as the name may suggest, the day is celebrated annually on the 7 of June. In the aftermath of World War I, the locals were hungry and desperate. Just like the rest of Europe, the war had caused disruptions in the agriculture and food industry and due to limitations on imports, prices rose and food was scarce. The scarcity of food, as well as the intense military presence on the island, made a select few even wealthier, with the majority of the inhabitants steadily becoming more deprived. This led to unrest, with small uprisings demanding better wages, to keep up with the increased cost of living. During the winter of 1919, the first meeting of the National Assembly was held, with the aim of finding a resolution, which would have meant independence from the British Empire. The groundbreaking resolution was brought forth by extreme nationalist faction and was opposed to the original resolution. Currents of extremism were ever present and the same day as the National Assembly, crowds began attacking 16 OH MY MALTA
shopkeepers, who remained open during the meeting. Tensions were high but still, a second National Assembly meeting was set in the capital of Valletta, for 7 June of the same year. Just before the meeting was to take place, Lord Plumer, the governor for the islands, was to decide whether the Maltese were going to play a larger role in the administration of the country. The population was split in two; those who trusted the British and does who simply did not. Police forces and postal employees were threatening to strike and just before the meeting, police asked for soldiers to be posted at Castille in Valletta, in anticipation of potential upheaval. The 7 of June arrived. The already tense situation blew up, following a misunderstanding. The Union Flag was flown at half mast, due to the death of the President of the Court just a few days earlier. The local population saw the Maltese flag, defaced, with the Union Jack, flying above the ‘A la Ville de Londres’ flag and all hell broke loose. The crowd removed the flag and its pole and proceeded through Valletta to smash windows,
