Image via WikipediaBy Paul Symonds
Sicily & Malta are two lovely islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The two islands have a lot of cultural similarities. Located on the west of the southern end of the Italian peninsula, separated from the Italian mainland by the Strait of Messina, Sicily is autonomous region of Italy. Located to the South of Sicily (Italy), the East of Tunisia, and the North of Libya, the Republic of Malta is Island country of Southern Europe.
Sicily is located just 60 miles to the north of Malta. There is great cultural affinity between Sicily & Malta. Due to their geographical closeness, there's been continuous exchange of knowledge, ideas, culture, customs and beliefs between the two islands. Many modern Maltese families trace their origins to various parts of Sicily and Southern Italy. The geographic proximity has facilitated a considerable amount of intermarriage, cross-migration, and trade between the two groups of islands.
The culture of modern Malta has been described as a "rich pattern of traditions, beliefs and practices, which is the result of a long process of adaptation, assimilation and cross fertilization of beliefs and usages drawn from various conflicting sources."
