1. Francesco Masini | Year 5 Tulips The traditional Maltese Christmas

2. INTRODUCTION As the 25 th of December approaches everyone around the world starts preparing for Christmas. Every country in the world has its own unique way how to celebrate Christmas. Malta is no exception. Here in Malta we have our own traditional way of celebrating Christmas.

3. THE CRIB From days before every house-hold starts preparing and decorating the house with Christmas decorations. The crib is a central piece in every house.

4. HONEY RINGS Honey rings or better known “Qaghaq tal-Ghasel” is a typically traditional Christmas recipe.

5. CHRISTMAS STAMPS Every year the post office issues a set of stamps for the Christmas season.

6. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS Main streets in towns and villages are decorated for Christmas by the council.

7. YUMMY CHRISTMAS TREATS Christmas log and Christmas cake are also present on our Christmas table.

8. THE GULBIENA A tradition that goes a long way is the planting of “gulbiena”. “Gulbiena” is planted at the begining of December in small containers and is kept in a dark place till Christmas Eve. It is then brought out and put around the statue of baby Jesus in a window. Long ago people were too poor to buy expensive Christmas decorations so they used “gulbiena” and some lights or candles to put around baby Jesus. This tradition is still alive to this day.

9. THE CHRISTMAS DINNER All the family gathers around the dinner table for the Christmas lunch or dinner. Turkey is the main course with other Maltese dishes such as “lasagne” or “timpana” and deserts such as the Christmas cake and honey rings.

10. THE CHRISTMAS TREE The Christmas tree is in every house- hold. Although this is not a Maltese tradition because it comes from the British reign in Malta, the Christmas tree has been adopted by the Maltese people and has now become a tradition in its own way. A Christmas tree in Valletta

11. ADVENT As soon as Advent period starts in The Church you can see a special table with four candles on it, decorated with Christmas reed. These candles are lit one by one every Sunday up till Christmas.

12. NOVENA In Parishes around the island the presentations of Christmas plays are performed during The Christmas “Novena” or before The Midnight Mass.

13. THE CHRISTMAS EVE PROCESSION On Christmas Eve early in the evening around the towns and villages the procession with Baby Jesus is held. This is organized by the members of the M.U.S.E.U.M society members. San Gorg Preca founder of the society was the first person to introduce this procession. The Statue of Baby Jesus is lifted by children and accompanied around the towns and villages with carol singing and prayers. Some Maltese carols are “Fuq tiben maxtura”, “Ninna la tibkix izjed” and “O lejl ta’ skiet”.

14. THE BOY’S SERMON Another tradition is The Midnight Mass in which the boy’s sermon is held from months before. The Parish Priest selects a boy from the altar boys and gives him along sermon which he has to learn by heart and delivers to The Assembled Congregation on Christmas Eve. As a reward The Parish Priest gives the boy a statue of Baby Jesus in a manger.