Map - Għaxaq (Ħal Għaxaq)

Għaxaq (Ħal Għaxaq, ) is a village in the Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 4,722 people as of March 2014. It is mainly a residential area surrounded by land used for agricultural purposes. The village's name is probably related to the noble family named Axiaq (also spelt Axiak or Asciak) which had feudal lands in the area in the fourteenth century, or it may be derived from the Maltese word meaning delight.

The village's main church is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, popularly known in Maltese as Santa Marija, which is therefore the village's patron saint. Celebrations take place annually from 30 July to 15 August. A secondary feast is celebrated on the week before the first Sunday of June. This is dedicated to Saint Joseph, husband of Mary. He is also the saint patron of the church. During these feasts the village is decorated with highly artistic statues and colourful lights and banners.

Għaxaq's main church is dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady and it is known for its baroque architecture. The present church was consecrated on 2 May 1784, after around fifty years of hard work by the villagers, which gave a helping hand in building their religious shrine. One could find a large number of artistic and valuable items in this church which were made by renowned Maltese and foreign artists. Of these one could find a number of highly artistic statues which all seek great devotion in a way or another. The titular statue which depicts the Assumption in heaven of our Lady was carved in wood by Mariano Gerada in 1808. Another statue which could be found in this church is that of the Main Secondary Feast of Saint Joseph, which was made by Fratelli Bertarelli of Milan in Italy in 1932 and is also carved in wood. Other statues are those of Our Lady of the Rosary carved in wood by Alessandro Farrugia, Our Lady of Fátima, and a set of traditional eight statues depicting the passion of Jesus Christ. These were made throughout the years with statues of Maltese artists Peppi Vella, Carlo Darmanin and family Camilleri Cauchi, namely Alfred and Aaron Camilleri Cauchi. The statue of dead Christ known as Il-Monument was brought to Għaxaq from Rome in the 18th century. The paintings which decorate the church's ceiling were painted by Emvin Cremona during the 1960s while other works of art date back to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries mostly painted by Maltese artists; Gio Nicola Buhagiar, Francesco Zahra, Rokku Buhagiar and Gianni Vella among others. Apart from the Titular feast of Saint Mary, which is celebrated annually on August 15th, other feasts are celebrated throughout the year. These are; the commemoration of the Passion of Jesus Christ and his rise from death- with the traditional Good Friday procession, which in Għaxaq is held on Palm Sunday evening, celebrated a Sunday before Easter, the Main Secondary feast of Saint Joseph celebrated on the first Sunday of June, Corpus Christi on the second Sunday of June, and Our Lady of the Rosary on the second Sunday of October. These are all organized by their respective confraternities. On the night between the 24th and 25th of December, a solemn mass is held to celebrate Christmas.