Today is a Bavarian holiday and also a public holiday in Poland. It is the feast of the Three Kings. A feast embedded in Catholic tradition is embraced by Bavaria and our neighbor, Poland. It is celebrated to its fullest in Bavaria, because this German state, which proudly proclaims itself “free,” has unabashedly continued to follow traditional Catholic religious feasts and make them public holidays. The Three Kings feast is celebrated only in Bavaria; the rest of Germany, which is either predominantly secular or non-Catholic, goes to work!

I have lived in Germany for 41 years, across three of its states. However, Bavaria has been my favorite so far, not only for its natural beauty but also for its unapologetic commitment to itself, its culture, and its traditions. Last year, a controversy arose in Bavaria when public offices and schools displayed the cross on the wall. Leftist politicians and activists tried to remove it, citing, of course, the now all too familiar “tolerance” narrative to stifle freedom. However, this is Bavaria, and its president, Markus Söder, is a devout Catholic who stated that nobody is forced to live in Bavaria, so if the cross offends anyone, they might consider moving because Bavaria is and will remain a Catholic state.

This week, my Bavarian friends had an interesting question for me. If Malta is so Catholic, why does it not celebrate most Catholic feasts? I gave them a brief historical overview of my country’s slow, deliberate separation from the deep culture and traditions that define us as Maltese. As a child in Malta, I celebrated the feast of the Epiphany and did not return to school until the day after. But slowly and gradually, under external secular influence, the Maltese have been denied their heritage in both their faith and their traditions. Why would anyone allow that? was the next question.

Why indeed! In the meantime, inane and irrelevant events like Halloween and St.Patrick’s Day replaced what grass-roots Maltese culture was. A combination of faith-related and historical, often medieval, celebrations that served as the glue for a nation that experienced invasions, slavery, wars, hunger, and colonialism. Throughout all this, the Catholic faith sustained the country. That has been replaced with secular entertainment and non-stop retail without rest. There is no day of rest on the island. That piece of civility is gone.

Progressive idealism crept into the island’s psyche through Hollywood and academia, accompanied by a heavy dose of activism against traditional values and faith-based moral principles. Add the EU’s socialist agenda to the mix, and the once-staunch Catholic island has been reduced to a pretense of tolerance propaganda that dismisses the island’s core heritage and identity. Even the Maltese language has been pushed to the back seat in favor of English and anything else in between. Malta’s identity has been systematically eroded, fostering contempt for tradition, culture, and faith.

Bavaria’s pride in its Catholic heritage, traditions, and culture keeps it rooted politically and socially. Bavarians still wear dirndls and celebrate their identity in communities as large as Munich and as small as my town, Weiden. They love beer, churches, religious holidays, and wurst. It is who they are, and they celebrate it without pretense. Bavaria does not compromise its cultural freedoms for the sake of a few who, instead of assimilating into communities, want to change them.

Malta’s destiny is bleak. From the destruction of heritage to overdevelopment to the elimination of faith-related feasts, the island has accepted its fate. It seems to be heading toward the complete annihilation of its language, cuisine, culture, and traditions. Many decades ago, Malta was called the “pearl of the Mediterranean.” Now it looks more like Grandma’s unfinished quilt, colorful, tacky, and coming apart at the seams.

As I cherish a quiet day in Bavaria, where all shops are closed and neighborhoods are serene and peaceful, I long for the Malta of my youth. Sundays were dedicated to church, family dinners, and an afternoon walk on the promenade. Religious feast days were still observed, and Maltese was heard and spoken in public establishments and on the streets. When the Maltese took pride in their heritage and country and did not sell out to the highest bidder. When moral values were still important, not just a “choice”.

Sadly, it took foreigners to bring to my attention what Malta has lost. Why would a beautiful island with such a rich history of self-preservation give it all up for consumerism, secularism, and pluralism? Maltese individuality has been lost in the run-of-the-mill fast-food joints, shapeless buildings, and social experiments that have turned the island into a reality show. What does tomorrow’s generation of Maltese kids have to look forward to? Who will answer for the destruction of their Maltese identity and culture? Who is to blame? Will politicians, parents, grandparents, and educators who contributed to the destruction of the island have the guts to answer? I doubt it.