Visit Żejt iż-Żejtun Olive Oil Harvest Festival This Weekend
Every autumn the town of Żejtun bursts into life for Żejt iż-Żejtun, an annual festival celebrating Malta’s olive oil and the amazing foods that go with it. This year’s event takes place on Saturday, 25 October from 7pm and continues on Sunday morning, 26 October, turning the town’s streets into a welcoming open-air kitchen.
The opening evening begins with a traditional procession led by the “Grandmaster”, joined by drummers, musicians, dancers, and locals carrying baskets of freshly picked olives to St Catherine’s Church. After a short reading, the olives are blessed to the sound of ringing bells, marking the start of the weekend.
Visitors can watch a live olive-pressing demonstration and taste newly pressed olive oil poured over warm ftajjar bread. The scent of olives and bread drifts through the streets, mingling with the aroma of the many Maltese dishes on offer. Local stalls sell qagħaq tal-għasel (honey rings), pudina tal-ħobż (bread pudding), qassatat, bigilla, carob syrup, fig rolls, cheeses, olives, pickled vegetables, and plenty of local honey. There are also recipe books and plenty of bottles of Żejtun olive oil to take home.
The town is filled with folk music, traditional dancing, and crafts, lace, pottery, woodwork and woven goods displayed by local artisans. Several historic buildings open their doors, including the Parish Church of St Catherine V.M., the Oratory, and the Parish Hall, which holds a famous painting of St Catherine’s beheading. Żejtun’s band clubs will also host small exhibitions about the town’s history.
On Sunday morning, the focus shifts over to Ġnien l-Għannejja Żwieten (St Gregory’s Garden) for the blessing of animals, with goats, sheep and song filling the gardens. There will be għana singing, children’s games, and more food stalls to browse before the weekend draws to a close.
Żejtun lies in the south of Malta, a short drive from Valletta and easily reached by bus or taxi. The town is known for its old honey-coloured stone houses, winding alley streets and quiet village life surrounded by olive groves and countryside. It’s one of Malta’s oldest settlements, with a warm, unhurried feel that makes it a lovely place to explore, especially during the festival weekend.
Visitors will leave with full hands and fuller stomachs, a jar of olives here, a ring of honey cake there, and most importantly, a bottle of Żejtun’s own olive oil to take home and enjoy long after the festival ends. Will you be there? Let us know in the comments below!
