There’s a rather endearing folk tradition in Malta called il-quccija. On a child’s first birthday, friends and family gather round while the baby is encouraged to pick from a selection of objects placed on the floor. The choice of object suggests what the baby’s eventual career might be. In the old days, on offer were items such as a bible (priest), a pencil (writer), a book (teacher), a boiled egg (lots of children) or a knitting needle (seamstress).
In today’s Malta, il-quccija is still widely practised, only there are new objects now, reflecting the influx of contemporary industries flourishing on this Mediterranean island. Twenty-first century babies might also be offered a calculator (accountant), a computer mouse (IT specialist) or a credit card (banker).
Ever since Malta joined the European Union in 2004,…
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Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition (Digital) - 1 Issue, November 2019