Christmas in Malta

Although Christmas is celebrated all over Europe, Malta has its own special ways of celebrating its holiday season. This article gives you some ideas of the traditions in Malta and what one can do during this Celebrative time.

Christmas Traditions in Malta

Malta is a Catholic country, and a very devoted one at that. The Christmas season brings about bright lights as well as prayer. 'Merry Christmas' in Maltese is 'Il-Milied it-Tajjeb!' and during this time of year streets and roundabouts all over the Maltese islands are decorated with colourful lights and nativity scenes. Private homes are dressed with decorations and Christmas trees, and the churches are thoroughly decorated, inside and out!

Cribs containing nativity scenes, known as 'Presepji' are very common, both inside the private homes, as well as inside the local churches. It is said that cribs were first introduced to the island by rich Italian noblemen, but were highly unpopular. As their popularity grew, they began to be made and displayed by the locals themselves. The first true Maltese crib in fact is thought to be the one displayed in the Dominican Friars Church in 1617! Maltese features began to replace Italian ones (such as the still-evident flour windmill) and the figurines that filled the cribs, known as 'pasturi', were also made by the locals. Today, various displays of hand-made cribs are set up for the public in the villages.

It is traditional - taught to school children at a young age - to sow wheat, grain and canary seed, known as 'gulbiena', on cotton buds some few weeks before Christmas. These are left in the dark until the seeds produce white grass-like shoots. Once they are fully-grown, they are used to decorate the crib or placed beside statues of Baby Jesus.

Schools hold Christmas concerts before the start of the holidays which contain Christmas themes, relating stories of the Nativity, Santa Clause, the Befana or the Baboushka for instance. Nativity pageants in local churches are enacted at 11pm on Christmas Eve followed by Midnight Mass to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. One Maltese tradition, initiated by altar boy George Sapiano in 1883 is the preaching of the child, known in Maltese as 'Il-Priedka Tat-Tifel'. Here, a boy or girl delivers the sermon to the people after having learnt it by heart, a process that may take up to 4 or 5 weeks. Children may then open their presents (left for them by Santa Clause or Father Christmas) on the following day, Christmas Day.

Traditionally, the Maltese Christmas Meal included a large turkey that was taken by the woman of the house to be baked at the local bakery, in a dish full of vegetables and potatoes. As for desert, the 'Qaghaq tal- Ghasel' or honey ring was eaten, followed by a cocoa and chestnut soup known as 'Imbuljuta tal-Qastan'. Today, Christmas turkey, cakes, pudding and mince pies are popular, inherited during the British colonial period. Italian panettone is also very popular. Besides the traditional home cooking there are several excellent Restaurants in Malta that offer traditional Christmas Day lunches.

Things you can do during your Holiday in Malta

After all the Christmas shopping is done - the most popular shopping areas being that of the Sliema Seafront and the Valletta High Street which are also decorated with lights and the playing of Christmas carols - the Maltese population team up to open their pockets once again, this time as an act of charity. For the past few years a programme called L-Istrina has been held, that includes a 12 hour marathon from noon to midnight packed with local entertainment and auctions, as well as phone-in lines, the profits of which are donated to selected charities on the island. This has now become a real part of Christmas for most of the Maltese who donate willingly, giving up to Lm1.3 million (over ¬3 million) in 2005.

With regard to entertainment, Malta's most popular production is the Christmas pantomime that, for the past 30 years, has been staged by a local amateur dramatic company (the MADC) at the National Theatre, the Manoel Theatre in Valletta. This year, the traditional MADC panto, being Sinbad the Tailor, has been moved to the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre and a new pantomime will be staged by another company known as Masquearde Theatre Company at the National Theatre; that being Jack and the Beanstalk. These spectacles include a host of visual treats, games and sweets for kids, jokes for adults, as well as the making fun of local politicians and personalities.

Apart from the pantomime, another two treats for kids are the Ta' Qali Christmas Village and Santa's Toy Town. In Ta' Qali, the area that used to be an air field during World War 2 has since been converted into a recreational park which provides an ideal place for picnics and weekend afternoons. During the month of December, for almost 2 weeks, this same area is transformed in a 'Christmas Village' with entertainment for all the family. At the Popeye Village Fun Park, in Mellieha, an area is converted into Santa's Toy Town where children can watch over 200 animated elves prepare the toys that Santa will deliver to children around the world on Christmas Eve, play games, see Malta's largest crib, watch puppet shows and enjoy a fun meal.