Christmas events in the Maltese Islands
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If you are planning a holiday to Malta in December or early January then you are in for a special Christmas treat.
For the Maltese, Christmas is a very special holiday and the country has adapted both Italian and British traditions over the years and made them it's own.
As you would expect, the streets are adorned with beautiful Christmas lights and Christmas carols can be heard through-out the islands.
The country has rich religious traditions and there are many activities that take place in over three hundred churches across the islands.
Houses in Malta are also decorated with typical twinkling lights and Christmas trees. One of the main Christmas traditions is the crib 'Presepju'. Cribs are made of newspapers which are moulded, glued and painted to resemble a cave. Ready made ones can be bought in different sizes. Small clay statues are then placed in the crib. Nowadays you can find a variety of plastic ones as well for sale. Cribs in Malta come in all different styles and sizes. Some go for the extended crib which usually takes up the whole dining table and includes all aspects of life in Bethlehem. Others even include mechanical moving objects like windmills, moving donkeys and lights. Flowing rivers are also common. These cribs are then placed in front of the window on street level so passers by can have a look. There are also open cribs usually in garages which occupy a whole room and are open to visitors at a small charge or donation. Sometimes you might even come across a live crib which includes a real donkey and cow in a manger.
Having been a British colony for almost two hundred years, Malta is the only country outside the United Kingdom where a traditional pantomime is still held. This year there are two productions taking place. The story of Cinderella is being held at the Manoel Theatre while Scrooge will feature in a Panto at the M.F.C.C. complex in Ta' Qali.
Besides the Pantos and religious events, this year's events calendar is pretty full. There are also various musical concertos, Christmas Caroling, a traditional Italian Circus and much more.
Winter in Malta is pretty mild and this enables many outdoor activities to take place. For the second year running several Christmas Villages are being set up through-out the islands.
And of course if you are in Malta for New Year's Eve there are several events which will help you ring in 2011.
Please visit the Events Calendar for an updated schedule of all the events taking place.
Malta Events Calendar
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