Żejtun’s festivities culminate on the third Sunday of June, when the feast of St. Catherine, the Virgin Martyr of Alexandria and Patroness of the parish is held, with all the pomp and splendor that go with traditional Maltese parish feasts.

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In 1436, at the time of Bishop Senatore de Mello, Żejtun was already under the patronage of St. Catherine. We know that in the old parish church, now commonly called for Gregory’s, they had a statue of St. Catherine - the whereabouts of which are now unknown - which they used to decorate with silver ornaments.

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They used to adorn the church by strewing green leaves and twigs on the cold globigerina limestone of which the pavement slabs were made. They also used to fire petards, though admittedly in a very limited way. Gradually, this annual feast of St. Catherine continued to increase in extent and splendour by the passing of years.

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The week-long festivities are attended by numerous devotees. On the second Sunday of June the statue of St. Catherine is taken out of the niche to the accompaniment of band marches, which continue throughout the whole week. Every nook and corner of Żejtun speaks a language of gaiety and liveliness; the squares and streets are awhirl with an array of colourful flags. Multi-coloured and vibrant rockets light up the dark and normally serene skies of Malta in mid-June. The climax of the festivities is reached when, after a week-long religious functions in the church, the statue of St. Catherine is carried shoulder-high in a procession through the main streets of Żejtun. 

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The two band clubs of the parish play a great part in adding to the splendour of these festivities, which come to an end on the stroke of midnight, between the third Sunday of June and the following Monday... when the traditional outing of Malta’s fine beaches is organised by both band clubs.