By Albert Fenech
A month for celebrations, events and joyfully colourful entertainment shows – and Christmas Day!
Time gallops on and the month of December is well on the way. Obviously you may say because it’s Christmas time renowned all over the world, but celebrated with extra vigour in the Maltese Islands. Preparations are already well in hand.
One has to take into account that for almost 2,000 years Malta has followed a strong Christian faith and retained its Catholicism when Protestant factions broke off from the Church in Rome during the 14th Century.
Yes, so Christmas has remained as a highlight event, BUT there is another event that has been diligently followed and honoured for many centuries. On 8th December the feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated and honoured around the Maltese Islands but mainly in COSPICUA on the upper rim of the majestic Grand Harbour.
From a small village as its origin and highly important since the Phoenician settlement in Malta because of its port facilities over 1,000 years ago, the locality grew and grew into one of the most important in the Maltese Islands for many, many reasons, eventually providing employment for many thousands of skilled/unskilled employees and being a paramount importance marine area for the Knights of St John and later, the British Empire and right into the mid-1970s.
During its peak, the Malta Dockyard, later the Malta Drydocks employed 20,000 persons and its workers were an integral part of the upheavals which marked riots in 1958 against the British Government while clamoring for independence from Great Britain.
Street celebrations
There were three settlements on the upper rim of the Grand Harbour and all played an important part in defeating the Ottomans and ending the Great Siege of Malta in 1565.
These were named:
COSPICUA (known as Bormla in Maltese) for its conspicuous part in helping defeat the Great Siege;
SENGLEA (known as L’Isla in Maltese) after an island although it is in fact on the peninsula;
VITTORIOSA (known as Birgu in Maltese) to commemorate the great victory.
A smaller locality in the area became known as KALKARA, a small sheltered port.
The feast day of Cospicua has for many centuries been The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a Holy Holiday in the Roman Catholic calendar celebrated every 8th December and is celebrated with much pomp and circumstance in the Cospicua locality even today.
This includes the usual colourful and boisterous street band marches and in the evening the solemn procession with the statue.
One other very, very important point, Cospicua gave birth to former Prime Minister Dominic Mintoff, revered by many, many, as the best-ever politician of the Maltese Islands and also with an international fame. For scores of years he was also the President of one of the Cospicua band clubs.
So, is this feast the only feature in Malta in December?
Far, far from it. Malta and Gozo are packed with a stream of events in many localities from mid-December onward providing entertainment over the Christmas/New Year period and not necessarily of a religious nature.
FAIRYLAND will once more see Pjazza Tritoni in capital city Valletta being transformed into Santa’s City from 8th December through to 7th January next year, a bumper, bumper organisation of entertainment.
This is RUDOLPHE’S WHEEL in Pjazzi Tritoni
There is something on offer for everyone including an iconic aerial view of Valletta from a mounted large Rudolph’s Wheel which one can ride to gain magnificent views to the mounting of an ice-skating rink to the delight of Maltese and visitors as an unique opportunity for an ice change in a Mediterranean climate!
Naturally, food and drinks stalls will be in abundance offering the best of Christmas fare and naturally many tots of alcohol and wine for the grownups.
Preparations for one of the events
Santa Claus and his elves will be at Fairyland with brimmingly filled stockings to gleefully delight children.
Throughout the islands there will be abundant nativity displays with private hobbyists mounting skilful cribs of their own making (including the figures) in their front rooms made open for public display and with commentaries and music.
Ghajnsielem in Gozo – the Christmas Tree is made from recycled glass bottles
In Gozo, the village of Ghajnsielem has become famed for its Christmas Village, an area dedicated to a whole enactment with displays and enactments.
For further information see Fairyland’s Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/fairylandmalta.
The Malta Tourism Office will also provide great information.
ALBERT FENECH
