# Maltese Food Traditions During Lent and Easter

Source: https://www.malteserecipes.com/history/lent-and-easter/

Explore Malta's spring food calendar, from Lenten Kwareżimal and St Joseph's pastries to Easter Figolli, with sources and recipes to cook.

Tags: history, lent, easter, traditions




Malta's spring sweets belong to several distinct occasions. Carnival, Lent, St Joseph's Day, and Easter are not interchangeable labels for the same celebration. Knowing the setting helps when choosing what to bake, without requiring every household to follow an identical menu.

## From Carnival to Lent

[Visit Gozo's seasonal sweets guide](https://visitgozo.com/2024/10/22/delectable-treats-more-gozos-sweets-indulgences/) associates Prinjolata with Carnival and Kwareżimal with Lent. It distinguishes these from the Figolli of Easter.

For the recipes on this site, the contrast is easy to see. [Prinjolata](/recipes/prinjolata/) is an assembled centrepiece with sponge, custard, cream, and decoration. [Kwareżimal](/recipes/kwarezimal/) is an almond-and-spice biscuit made here without eggs, butter, or milk. These ingredient choices describe our versions; they are not a universal account of historical fasting rules.

## St Joseph's Day

[Żeppoli ta' San Ġużepp](/recipes/zeppoli-ta-san-guzepp/) have their own occasion on 19 March, rather than being another name for an Easter pastry. Joseph C. Camilleri records the day's sweet ricotta-filled pastries in [Maltese Folklore, printed page 199](https://ktieb.org.mt/app/uploads/2025/03/Maltese-Folklore_extract_compressed.pdf#page=71).

Our recipe offers honey, nuts, or icing sugar to finish. Fill close to serving if you want the shell to stay crisp.

## Figolli and Easter

There is documented history behind [Figolli](/recipes/figolli/), not just a general claim that they are old. [Taste History discusses a 1762 painting and De Soldanis' description of dough figures holding eggs](https://tastehistory.mt/the-figolla/). It also cautions that the painting may not precisely represent Maltese examples.

Today's recipe uses almond filling, colourful icing, and a chocolate egg. A heart, animal, or other cutter shape can make each pastry distinctive; the older evidence does not require one compulsory shape.

## Choosing a savoury meal

If you are planning a meat-free lunch, consider [pea qassatat](/recipes/qassatat-tal-pizelli/) or [Soppa tal-Armla](/recipes/soppa-tal-armla/). These are menu suggestions, not evidence that every Maltese household served them on a particular holy day. Check the ingredients against your own dietary or religious requirements: cheese, eggs, and fish are not interchangeable categories.

For a practical baking plan and lunch suggestions, use the [Maltese Easter food guide](/collections/maltese-easter-food/). Explore [Maltese festa and celebration food](/collections/maltese-festa-and-celebration-food/) for other occasions, or [baking and pastry](/collections/maltese-baking-and-pastry/) when choosing by technique instead.