Youths’ expression of cultural identity through the visitor encounter

Abstract

Preparation and participation in community events such as the festa, serve to convey meanings and expose values held by individuals as well as communities. This paper, through an exploratory pilot study, analyses the attitudes and perceptions of youth towards the festa as a medium of expressing cultural identity. However as the success of the festa and other religious events such as the Good Friday procession tend to be evaluated by the amount of tourists and visitors which attend, one must also be aware that ‘commoditisation of culture in effect robs people of the very meanings by which they organise their lives’ (Greenwood, 1989, p.179). Although one can argue that the authenticity of the occasion is diluted because of over-commercialisation, the study concludes that young people’s membership in local festa–oriented organisations as well as the festa itself, showcase the cultural identity, heritage and creative spirit which is an expression of Maltese youth.