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• LOCATION :

  Carmelite Priory Mdina

• Date :

  Sunday 15th March 2015

• Time :

  10:00 - 15:00

• Price :

  Free Entrance

Did you know that:

• the Maltese bee, known as Apis mellifera Ruttneri is endemic and named after the explorer who discovered it?
• Malta’s own name recalls the honey bee since Roman times?
• around Malta we still find old apiaries, as well as locations which indicate honey production and beekeeping like wide il-Għasel and Naħħalija?
• there is no other honey rivaling Maltese bee’s honey?
• for hundreds of years beekeeping hives in Malta used bottomless pottery vases, called Qolla?
• the bee is in danger of extinction due to wild “development” if the honey bee will be extinct we would lose fruits, flowers and other products?

Both honey and the honey bee were always value metaphors and symbols in the spiritual life. Scriptures and monastic life present the busy bee as symbols and metaphors of higher values. In the Middle Ages, the word Carmelus denoted sweetness of honey. As from the 13th century Carmelites were compared to honey bees working on spiritual honey in their cells through spiritual meditation of the Word of God. The Rule expects us to “ponder day and night on the Word of the Lord”. Like a bee nurturing on flowers the Carmelite turns onto the Word of God daily to collect the sweetness and flavour of the spiritual life.

At the Mdina Carmelite, on March 15 from 10am to 4pm we will revive again the ancient tradition of beekeeping at the Priory. During the Bee Day one can see a demonstration hive full of bees working out honeycombs and producing honey; the tools used; the typical Maltese qolol still preserved at the Priory.

Kont taf li:

• in-naħla Maltija hi endemika u msemmija apis mellifera ruttneri għal min kixifha?
• l-isem Malta stess ifakkar f’għasel in-naħla sa minn żmien ir-Rumani?
• madwar Malta nsibu mġiebaħ qodma li juru l-importanza tan-naħla u l-għasel għal Malta, kif ukoll lokalitajiet imsemmijin għall-għasel jew għan-naħla: Wied il-Għasel, in-Naħħalija?
• m’hemm ebda għasel ieħor li jħabbatha mal-għasel tan-naħla Maltija?
• għal mijiet ta’ snin li fit-trobbija tan-naħal f’Malta kienet tintuża bħal ġarra tal-fuħħar bla qiegħ, imsejħa qolla?
• n-naħla tinsab fil-periklu tal-qerda minħabba “l-iżvilupp” u li jekk tinqered in-naħla magħha nitilfu l-frott, il-fjuri u prodotti oħrajn tal-art?

In-naħla u l-għasel ukoll dejjem kellhom valur fil-ħajja spiritwali. Kemm fil-Bibbja u kemm fil-ħajja reliġjuża u monastika, in-naħla bieżla u l-għasel bnin isiru simboli u metafori ta’ valuri għolja. Fiż-Żminijiet tan-Nofs, il-kelma Carmelus kienet tfisser għasel ħlejju u sa’ mill-bidu l-Karmelitani ġew imqabblin ma’ naħal li jaħdem l-għasel spiritwali fiċ-ċelel permezz tal-meditazzjoni tal-Kelma ta’ Alla. Ir-Regola tistenna minna li “lejl u nhar naħsbu fuq il-Kelma tal-Mulej”. Bħal naħla fuq warda il-Karmelitan idur fuq il-Kelma ta’ Alla biex jiġbor minnha il-ħlewwa u l-benna tagħha ftit ftit kuljum.

Fil-Karmnu tal-Mdina, nhar il-15 ta’ Marzu, mill-10am sat-3pm nerġgħu induqu it-tradizzjoni antika tat-trobbija tan-naħal tal-kunvent f’Jum in-Naħla Maltija, li fiha wieħed ikun jista’ jara kaxxa tan-naħal u l-istess naħal jaħdem ix-xehed u l-għasel, l-għodda li tintuża, il-qolol tipiċi Maltin li għadna nsibuhom fil-kunvent, u taħdit ukoll fuq in-naħla u l-ħajja spiritwali.