What is Christmas like in Malta? Local traditions are mixed here with British and Italian ones.

Although you cannot expect a white Christmas in Malta, the Christmas holidays here have an unprecedented charm.

What Christmas decoration is missing in any home?

What is gulbiena and what is it used for?

How is today’s Christmas dinner different from those served several centuries ago?

Find out how Christmas is celebrated in Malta.

When is Christmas celebrated in Malta?

Malta is the fifth smallest country in Europe after the Vatican, Monaco, San Marino, and Liechtenstein. It was a British protectorate from 1800 until independence in 1964.

Christmas in Malta is called “Il-Milied”; it is celebrated on December 25 and is associated with many decorations and festive events. There are Christmas concerts, exhibitions of handmade nativity scenes, theater performances, and charity markets and fairs.

Most of the population is Roman Catholic, so Christmas in Malta is celebrated in the spirit of many traditions. These traditions, especially when it comes to cuisine, reflect both British and Italian influences.

Do you know Maltese Christmas traditions?

The most widespread custom that dominates the Christmas season is the tradition of Nativity scenes, which came here from Italy during the 16th century. Many people build their nativity scenes to decorate their homes.

Nativity scenes usually depict a “nativity scene” and a typical Maltese landscape. They are decorated with figurines called “pasturi.” At midnight on Christmas Day, a figure of Jesus is placed in the manger, and figures of the three wise men are placed on the Three Kings.

Large figures of Jesus are sometimes also placed outside windows or on balconies and are illuminated at night. Houses are generally decorated with Advent wreaths and other decorations. Every household also has a Christmas tree. As conifers are very scarce in Malta, most are imported from Italy.

Various seeds are typically allowed to sprout during the five weeks before Christmas. These seeds can sprout in the dark until they produce long, white, grass-like shoots.

Maltese people call these shoots “gulbiena.” They use them to decorate nativity scenes or figurines of Jesus. Do you know the origin of this tradition? Another unique Maltese Christmas tradition is “Pieredka tat-Tifel,” which means “child’s sermon.” Instead of the priest, a boy or girl, typically between the ages of 7 and 10, delivers the sermon during the midnight mass on Christmas Day.

Christmas performances are also regularly held in local churches. During these, children dressed as shepherds, Joseph and Mary, with dolls representing Baby Jesus, act out the story of Jesus’s birth.

Who brings the children’s presents?

Maltese children can’t wait until the morning of December 25 when they can unwrap the gifts that Father Christmas, influenced by British traditions, left for them in stockings and under the tree. On the night of December 24, he travels on his reindeer-drawn sleigh and reaches the houses through the chimney.

On Christmas Eve, children often prepare a small snack: a glass of brandy and a mince pie, a traditional British pastry, for Father Christmas and carrots for his reindeer.

What to eat in Malta at Christmas?

Before Malta became British, housewives chose the fattest and most voluminous rooster to cook for Christmas Eve lunch. The rooster was placed in a roasting pan with vegetables and potatoes and then taken to the local bakery to be baked in one of the large stone ovens.

The traditional Christmas dessert was “Qaghqa tal-Ghasel” or honey rings, and to conclude, a hot drink made from chestnuts and cocoa called “Imbuljuta tal-Qastan” was served after midnight mass.

Today’s Maltese Christmas menu often resembles the English one in many ways. Traditional dishes include roasted turkey with stuffing, mince pie, or small cakes made of short dough filled with candied fruit, raisins, nuts, alcohol, and spices.

Of course, the Christmas pudding, called “pudina tal milled,” cannot be missed. Due to its proximity to Italy, panettone is also a popular Christmas sweet.

How to prepare your own Imbuljuta tal-Qastan?

Imbuljuta tal-Qastan is a traditional hot and spicy drink based on chestnuts and cocoa. Without it, a Maltese Christmas would not be complete. There are two different ways of using chestnuts. Some people leave them whole, while some break them.

Crushed chestnuts give the drink not only a more intense aroma but also a greater density. This could be the drink if you want an alternative to eggnog or mulled wine this year.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of water
• 2 cups dried shelled chestnuts
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 6 cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• tangerine peel
• 4 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 3 tbsp sour cream (optional)

Method:

1. Wash the chestnuts and soak them in water for at least 8 hours.
2. Drain and place in a saucepan.
3. Add water, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa powder, sugar, nutmeg, and tangerine peel, and cut into small pieces.
4. Bring to a boil and simmer until the chestnuts are tender, about an hour.
5. Break the chestnuts into small pieces with a large spoon at the end of cooking.
6. Dissolve the cornstarch in water and add it to the mixture to thicken it slightly.

Serve hot in a cup or bowl.

What places to visit in Malta at Christmas?

Malta is a picturesque country worth visiting all year round. Christmas in Malta offers a range of traditional and non-traditional entertainment.

• Valletta – the capital city with winding medieval streets and an excellent range of shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, and bistros is the ideal place to spend the Advent season. At Christmas, it is beautifully decorated with many lights and hosts many Christmas markets and other events that give it that authentic Christmas atmosphere despite the warm weather. A popular Christmas event with children and adults is also the annual pantomime at the Manoel Theatre.

• Gozo – if you have a soft spot for nativity scenes, you should not miss visiting the village of Ghajnsielem on the island of Gozo. In 2008, some abandoned fields near the village were transformed into a nativity scene. This initiative proved so successful that it has been repeated yearly since then. Several hundred people participated in the live animation of a mini Nativity scene with artisans at work, farmers and shepherds, and, of course, the Holy Family at the center of attention.