Waiting for the deluge: what’s up with the rainy expression ‘l-gharajjex ta’ Santa Maria’?
Storms are forecast for the next few days, and while this may come as a surprise to visitors on the island, it's old hat for the Maltese who are used to seeing torrential rain at this time of year and even have an expression for it: l-gharajjex ta’ Santa Marija (pronounced: la-rai-yesh ta san-ta mar-i-ya).
This Maltese onomatopoeic expression echoes the swish of rainfall in the wind and represents so much of what August brings. For summer in Malta is not just beachside spritzes and lazy summer days inviting you to stretch – like a lizard – on the hottest part of the sand. Storms brew. Then, they empty their stewed water down on the islands – usually in mid-to-end August – over a sloppy few days, which have locals looking up to the sky and saying: ‘better stay home’.
But where does that expression come from? According to online site and Facebook page, Kelma Kelma - an initiative which celebrates the beauty and diversity of the Maltese language by gathering a staggering compendium of idioms, expressions and wordplay - the word gharajjex refers to thin, whispy clouds which start to form in August and which are often the sign of cooler weather. The Santa Marija in the name derives from the storm's usual timing, close to the feast of Santa Maria (otherwise known as the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady to Heaven) on 15 August.
The storms which hit during l-gharajjex ta’ Santa Maria are often furious and short-lived, though they do offer a spectacular lightening show if you’re lucky enough to be nestled somewhere high and dry, with vistas over the sea. Leaving the safe enclave of your home or hotel may not be advisable when flashes flare, clouds thicken to an Earl Grey and the pitter patter of water hitting the island starts to sound, but it would not – ironically - be summer in Malta without these!
Some other weather idioms in Maltese, which can reflect the temperament of the country, its windy aspect and ties to the rural Mediterranean of the past are (source: Il-Miklem):
Il-punent iwiegħed u jagħti: the western wind promises and gives – usually referring to the rain it brings with it;
Il-ħmura ta’ filgħodu, agħlef il-baqar ħalli jorqdu: when the morning sky is red, feed the cows and let them sleep;
Ir-riħ imexxi l-bastimenti, imma hu jgħarraqhom: the wind drives the ships, but it also sinks them – also meaning that something can be both good and bad;
In-nhar jidher minn għodu: literally translated as ‘the day appears from the morning’, though meaning that the morning will show you what the rest of the day’s weather is going to be like. It also has a figurative meaning, applied to a person’s character, which shows its first traits in early life;
Il-qamar jibla’ kollox: literally translated as ‘the moon swallows everything’, though meaning that when the moon shines bright, it will dissipate the clouds.
Do you know any weather expressions -in English or Maltese - you’d like to share?
@heresheblossoms / Instagram & @sweet_petal_della / Instagram