Pray for a cloudless morn so a lucky 40 can see the Spring Equinox

The spring equinox at Mnajdra Temples takes place this year on 20 and 21 March and Heritage Malta is once again giving guided tours and early-bird rights of access to a lucky 40 people only, so as ‘to enhance the visitor experience’. May be, just may be this year, I’ll manage to get out of bed (at around 04.45) to get there in time – I am a bare 10 minutes’ drive away. If you want to go, book quickly (see below) so you won’t miss the magic unfold as of the first shafts of the summer season’s sunrise enter the temple’s inner sanctum.

If you’re at all into prehistory, mysticism or ancient cults or just fancy a more unearthly start to your day on that weekend, then it’s worth the effort. We’re giving you a couple of weeks’ notice, but expect tickets to be snapped up quickly.

A bit of background from the experts
The unique setting of the Mnajdra Temples at Qrendi, overlooking the coast, gives them a special charm not to be found in any other of the large-scale megalithic buildings of the Maltese Islands, many of which lie in more urban areas or inland.

Sunrise on the first day of each season underlines the relationship between the temples and celestial bodies. Although it is not known for certain whether these orientations were intentional, they are so systematic that this is very probable. In prehistoric agricultural societies, observation of the motion of the stars, the moon and sun could have been related to the changing seasons and times of planting and harvesting crops.

On these Equinox days, the first rays of the sun light up the edge of a megalith found to the right of the central doorway connecting the first pair of chamber to the inner chamber of the Lower Mnajdra Temple.

Event Tickets & Further Info
Tickets are €15 for the general public and €10 for Heritage Malta and ICOM members and are strictly on a first-come-first-served basis. You can buy tickets from any Heritage Malta site or museum as well as the Heritage Malta head office, Old University Buildings, Merchants Street, Valletta. Tel: +356 22954000. On the mornings, participants meet point at 05.30 next to the Ħagar Qim main entrance.

For further information, see also the Heritage Malta website.

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It's OK, the real live wave is coming soon

Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Malta, scheduled for April 17-18, is to celebrate the 1,950th anniversary of the shipwreck of St Paul (Malta’s patron saint) on the islands in A.D. 60. Malta will be his 14th trip overseas since becoming Pope and makes an ideal visit outside his home territory.

Malta is near (an hour from Rome); has a population that’s stated as being 98 per cent Roman Catholic, and is guaranteed therefore to give him a vociferously warm welcome; is safe (little likelihood of the allegedly deranged leaping barriers to have a go at him); and it has a history steeped in defending the faith (as home to the Knights of St John for around 250 years).

There are also the benefits of Malta that most tourists enjoy – Malta’s compact size means the Pope, according to his published programme, will pass through some 33 parishes (just under half the total). The Popemobil won’t stop in all of course. During the visits of Pope John Paul II (1990 and 2001), many parish priests were disappointed, to put it mildly, as all they saw of the Pope was a papal wave from a rather high-speed Popemobil. Allegedly too, local legend has it, nuns were known to have used rather interesting methods to get to the front of the crowd during previous papal visits.

No doubt Pope Benedict’s trip will provide years’ worth of anecdotes along with memories of his astute addresses and the solemnity of religious ritual, handshakes with the President and blessings. Leaving aside the logistics, you’ll come across mumblings about the Pope’s visit. The Vatican has said that the Pope’s visit will be a time to reflect on and deepen the Christian faith. Here’s a round up of some issues minorities would like the Pope to reflect on in Malta, but on which he is he is unlikely to:

Interfaith Dialogue: When the Pope visits Britain later this year, interfaith dialogue will have to be on the agenda given the recent schisms in the Church of England and the multi-faith make-up of the UK. But, in Malta, with a solid 98 per cent (not all practising of course) Catholic, his agenda setters see no need to bother with it here, despite calls from Hindus and Jewish leaders across the world for him to urge Malta to have greater moral responsibility towards minority faiths on the Islands. The minority will just have to let the show go on. But, we should reserve judgement till we hear the Pope’s addresses, though it seems he will play to a home crowd only.

Religious equality under Maltese law for minority faiths: Linked to the point above, is a similar call by influential spokespeople of other world faiths for the Pope to urge Malta to treat all religions and denominations equally under its laws. Malta’s Criminal Code reportedly makes one liable to imprisonment up to six months for publicly vilifying the “Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion”, while committing such act against “any cult tolerated by law” makes one liable to imprisonment for up to three months.

Teaching of comparative religion in Malta’s schools: While religion is not a compulsory subject in the curriculum, there are those who feel religious teaching in Malta’s schools should include information about all world faiths, not solely the dominant Catholic religion. Children get a lot of Catholicism from their upbringing, family and parish yet have no formal way of being introduced to the teachings of other world faiths in the spirit of understanding, broadening horizons, tolerance for other’s beliefs and so on.

Pope Benedict’s 13 journeys to date have been tailored to national situations. Malta, with its homogeneity of faith, doesn’t require him to raise these issues. Both fervent Catholics and the less so will be living in hope then for the Pope’s visit. One group may be more disappointed than those parish priests who missed John Paul II – at least they got a brief wave. The minority voices here most likely won’t even get a cursory nod in their direction.

Photo: Gethin Thomas

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Grey skies or blue? There's a right time for everyone to holiday in Malta

A little internet research – here too we hope – and you’ll probably have a good idea of the main reasons why the Maltese Islands stack up as a holiday destination for you in 2010.

You are a diver, you want to learn English or holiday somewhere English is spoken, you’re seeking some Mediterranean winter sun, you’re a walker, or you’ve heard about the 6,000 odd years of history and the UNSECO World Heritage that awaits. Or you’ve kids and think a lot to do in small space (less travelling around time!) and some beaches with cafes will do the family holiday job nicely.

So much for the ‘why’, but what about when to come to Malta to make the most of it?

Some dates to plan for, or avoid

Maltese public holidays 2010, click here

With Kids
Clearly, you are stuck with coming when your children have school holidays. But bear in mind the Maltese school holidays too, as many parks, beaches, playgrounds, seafronts, gardens, activity & fun centres (like Playmobil) and the newly-opened Ta’ Qali Adventure Park (near the national stadium, Attard) will be more crowded. Malta is small, so space for kids recreation can be limited and under pressure. On the plus side, your own children will find Maltese kids to play with which is ideal if you’re with a only child! Also, you’ll find that in Malta’s school holidays, there are activities laid on – such as the hands-on workshops at the Centre for Creativity at St James Cavalier, Valletta. Note that flight prices always go up to coincide with school breaks, both UK and Maltese ones. Note too that often local and UK mid terms don’t quite coincide.

Malta School holiday dates (most schools):
15 – 17 February, mid spring term break
Easter holidays: 26 March – 11th April
1 June – most schools on half days
25-28 June – beginning of summer holidays lasting 3 months till late September.
1 – 3 November: mid autumn term break
17 December: Christmas holidays start

Cultural Activities & Sightseeing
Summer is often too hot for comfort to really enjoy sightseeing, so avoid peak months mid/late June to early September if you can. Baking out on exposed rocky hillside visiting the prehistoric temples at Hagar Qim isn’t pleasant. Even though boat trips take the edge of the heat, you can get sunstroke unless you are careful and well protected. Shoulder months, even winter, are far better for getting around to cultural sights, comfortably. Most people’s holidays in Malta are a mix of activities so, of course, seek some culture even in the summer. Nothing beats sultry summer evenings out. So choose to enjoy events after sundown, such as those of the near month-long Malta Summer Arts Festival in July. Here are some key cultural diary dates to coincide with, but check our What’s On for others. We’ll link to relevant the websites as they come on stream.

Carnival, 12-16 February; a riot of fun and colourful floats pre-Lent. Family fun.
Ghanafest, 28-30 May: a weekend festival celebrating traditional music & food from Malta and with guest performers from around the Mediterranean. Ideal for the family.
Malta International Jazz Festival, 15-17 July: a major and magical event by Grand Harbour which has attracted true, international greats of the jazz scene to Malta since it started 19 years ago.
Malta Summer Arts Festival: first 3 weeks of July. It’s a bonanza of performance, music and dance with events held in open air in gardens as well as historic venues. Something from almost all artistic forms and for everyone.
Notte Bianca, 2 October: held in Valletta on the first Saturday in October each year, this ‘white night’ is a celebration of culture and the arts in Malta’s capital.
Birgu Festival around 8-10 October. Birgu’s (Vittoriosa’s) answer to Notte Bianca. Street stalls, music, event and food. Candlelit procession at dusk on the Saturday. Family fun.
Village & Town Festas: all summer long! Some of the main ones.

Other regular festivals include the early May Strawberry Fair at Mgarr; the Pumpkin Festival, same venue, in early November; the Mdina Festival, early March; the Siggiewi Agricultural Fair in June for a touch of local, rural tradition; Malta International Fireworks Festival, early May; and numerous other foodie festivals including bread, oranges and tomatoes.

Learning English
A year-round option depending on whether you’re a student or working. Bear in mind that Easter and the peak summer months (mid-June to early September) see a vast number of young people come to the Islands to learn English. So, expect crowds, larger classes, extra-curricula activities to be in large groups to over-crowded sites and beaches. Schools run small group, one-to-one and specialised English courses as well, but the whole atmosphere will be louder in summer months!

Diving & Sailing
Other almost all-year-round activities, so feel free to plan shoulder month vacations to enjoy these sports. While you might hit bad weather, you might just as easily have the glorious autumn weather we had in 2009 until Christmas. That said, October’s Rolex Middle Sea Race last year saw teams battle their coldest event in years with some icy squalls. In contrast, November was hot and sunny though. Divers say that you see more underwater life in the off-season months as the interesting fish tend to come closer to shore then. Sea temperatures range from 25°C in August to around 17°C in December and down to around 15°C in January-February.
Malta Weather & Sea Temperatures
Browse our Diving articles
Browse our Sailing articles

Walking
Shoulder months and winter are the optimal times to hike and ramble and enjoy the countryside when it’s green, lush and less hot to explore. At all times of year though, do pack plenty of drink and some energy boosting snacks and apply sun screen. While urban areas have snack bars aplenty, the countryside, especially on coastal hikes (Dingli and Fawwara, most of Gozo, Mellieha and so on) is quite isolated in Maltese terms and devoid of food pit stops.
Browse countryside articles
Browse walking in Malta & Gozo articles

Senior Citizens
A few tips here: don’t assume Malta has Caribbean-style winter sun and do be prepared for crowds and very high temperatures in peak summer. Winter temperatures will be higher than those in northern Europe, but come with clothing for wet, damp and chill weather. See our tips on ‘what to pack for a Maltese winter‘. Check about the heating in your accommodation. See ‘heating a Maltese house in winter‘, for some idea of what we do heat with here so you can ask! Hotels might not always have the heating on sufficiently high – I’ve heard of very chill hotel rooms. Be prepared. Similarly, check about aircons and fans. A lot of hotels now offer spa facilities which make a good leisure option especially in winter months. You can either book the odd treatment or plan a full week of therapy and pampering.
Related links:
Travelling by bus in Malta
Reasons to Love Malta in Winter

Accommodation
Do check if holidaying in peak summer that your chosen hotel isn’t packing in language students (3 or more to a room), if you don’t want noisy corridors and to be kept awake at night. It can happen. Some 3 or lower 4 star hotels have filled spare capacity with students in recent summers. Our forum should help provide this kind of info when it’s launched – details here. We’re doing a separate article on accommodation (rental apartments vs hotels, which towns for what type of accommodation and so on, so we’ll just mention this one date-related issue here for now.

Photo: Leslie Vella

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Behind the mask of madness lies a heap of history.

Carnival is on the horizon. If you’ve children, carnival seems to happen almost back to back with Christmas and New Year as kids always leap at the next chance to have a holiday. So, with around three weeks to go, I am being told of local shops with costumes for hire and pestered about hiring one now, should the best be gone by the time I bother.

Carnival’s history in Malta is well documented here. It was a key festivity in the religious calendar in Malta under the Knights of St John. While encouraged at first, its growing licentiousness, rowdiness, brawls and wild festivities in general made some Grand Masters curtail and even censure it in various periods.

Certainly, it has included elements that might make today’s kids pale as they make their annual and harmless trek mid-term to Valletta to see the floats in their ‘grand défilé, with the King Carnival pride of place. You’ll find the 2010 Carnival Programme (12-16 Feb) here. Carnival is centred on Valletta, where the city gate was demolished in the late 1950s, as urban legend has it, to build one high and wide enough for floats to pass through!

Some aspects of the darker sides of carnival’s history – the macabre, lewd and grotesque – live on. The Nadur carnival in Gozo, is one of the only surviving spontaneous (rather than totally organised) carnivals today, and definitely includes some blacker moments, though probably none as vicious as those in the times of the Knights. Last year’s did see some of the revellers, who had dressed as nuns and one as Jesus, hauled up in the courts for violating a ban on villifying the Catholic Religion. The case spawned a Facebook group calling on lots of people to go to the Nadur carnival this year dressed as Jesus.

If you do delve into the history of Malta’s carnival though, you’ll find the debate about its returning to its roots (whatever they really were) has come up time and again over the centuries. No single era seems to have harnessed carnival and avoided its propensity to surprise, defy, and live on!

For children though, carnival is an annual and predictable event. It’s a time to not wear school uniform, and to eat a gooey mound of prinjolata (a carnival-time cake of sponge, cream, citrus peel, glace fruits, biscuits and more calorific things) and to enjoy the organised processions in Valletta.

Photo: Courtesy of Valletta Suites

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Let the conversation flow (along with a little wine). Food, Wine, Art lectures at Palazzo Falson.

Note: We’ve been informed that these lectures won’t be taking place as Prof. Variana is unable to come over to Malta for now. We’ll keep you posted when they’re rescheduled.

Not all culture comes at a price as February’s series of free lectures at Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum in Mdina proves. What’s more, these particular talks have an added bonus – they come complete with free tastings of wine, Renaissance cookbook-inspired foods and extra virgin locally pressed olive oils.

What an enlightened trio of cultural pursuits. The lectures are a winning formula for getting us to appreciate an historic venue and learn something new, and also an ingenious way of the museum marrying its collection with some complementary, lively events.

The Food, Wine & Art lecture programme
Palazzo Falson has invited a visiting art historian, Prof. John Varriano, to give two, two-hour lectures on food, wine & art, each one covering two distinct themes. The sessions (including tastings) are completely free of charge, but booking is essential to secure a place (and we advise you book fast as seats are limited). To book, tel: +356 2145 4512 or +356 2145 1021, or email: info@palazzofalson.com.

Friday 12th February (1400-1600hrs):
1. “Wine and Health, Wine and Death” first discusses the presumed therapeutic benefits of wine as brought down to us through the ages, and goes on to examine its changing metaphorical associations with memento mori, or images of death, in ancient and Early Modern times.

Wine Tasting & sampling of food inspired by Renaissance cookbooks (researched and prepared by Matty Cremona). Sponsored by Marsovin and Wardija Extra Virgin.

2. “Erotic Appetites” focuses on paintings of food that embody two genres of Renaissance allusion, the first exploiting the sexually suggestive shapes of certain fruits and vegetables, and the second linking the eating habits of the different social classes to stereotypical notions of sexuality and procreative success.

Saturday 20th February (1030-1230hrs):
1. “Eggs, Butter, Lard, and Oil” traces the evolution of the binders used in Renaissance art and cuisine, noting the importance of oil in particular for the signature characteristics of both cultural expressions.

Oil Tasting & sampling of food inspired by Renaissance cookbooks (researched and prepared by Matty Cremona). Sponsored by Wardija Extra Virgin and Marsovin.

2. “Edible Art” introduces the art of trionfi da tavola, edible table decorations that routinely embellished Renaissance and Baroque banquets.

Prof. John Varriano taught Art History at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts from 1970, until his retirement in June, 2009. He is a specialist in the art of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque periods in Italy, and the author of five books and more than four dozen articles. His latest interests combine the history of art with the history of gastronomy.

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Clubs, pubs or posh nosh: there's a mix of options for New Year's in Malta

Around ten years ago, I used to know well in advance where I was going to party the night away on New Year’s Eve in Malta. The venue was always some ‘official’ place – club, hotel, old palazzo that’s used the rest of the year for weddings – and so on. The ticket, always relatively extortionate, would have been bought a month or more before – well, I didn’t want to miss the much vaunted event!

Now, New Year’s Eve is much more likely to find me at some private house party that only needs dressing up for and taking a bottle to. It will be crowded, heaving, hot and a feast of friends I do know rather than an evening of rubbing shoulders with people I don’t. I have no doubt that add another decade or so and I’ll be doing what I was astonished my parents could do – and that is ‘having a quiet evening in toasting New Year with a small nip of something!’.

I haven’t quite worked out if New Year’s Eve arrangements are age determined, but it’s certainly a case of each to his own taste. And there’s plenty of choice around in Malta this year to cater for everyone – from those with young kids (take them with you in buggy to Valletta Waterfront for instance), adolescents (who might just make it to a mini-bus for the 4am run home after celebrating in their regular Paceville bar) to the 20- to 30-somethings who follow their top DJ to a ticketed venue, and the 40-something pluses who indulge with mega-course, sit-down meals in palazzo splendour.

What to do where
We’ve done a round-up in our What’s On section of some of the main NYE events this year. Choose from hotels to clubs and from dinners to dance. There’s only one thing I find with each passing New Year’s Eve – I am less decided about what to do till the last minute. With a bit of luck, if more people are like me, there’ll still be tickets for most events!

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Mnajdra's winter solstice; the same as it's always been, tented temples or not

I’ve been meaning to make it to the summer solstice at Mnajdra Temples for the past two years. But, I just can’t manage to get out of bed (at around 04.30) to get there in time – and I am a bare 10 minutes’ drive away. I am just too comatose in the summer heat. So, perhaps I’ll fare better at seeing the first shafts of winter’s sunrise hit the temple’s inner sanctum. But, it’s pretty nippy in the air over night now and my duvet, not will power, might win.

If you’re at all into prehistory, mysticism or ancient cults or just fancy a more unusual start to your Christmas week – well armed with a flask of hot coffee – then do try to make Heritage Malta’s guided tours of Mnajdra, Sunday 20th and Monday 21st December, meeting at Hagar Qim temple at 06.15.

But, you’ll have to be quick, which is why we’re giving you a week’s notice; only 40 people will be allowed access to the event on each of the days, in order to ‘enhance the visitor experience’.

A bit of background from the experts
The unique setting of the Mnajdra Temples at Qrendi, overlooking the coast, gives them a special charm not to be found in any other of the large-scale megalithic buildings of the Maltese Islands, many of which lie in more urban areas or inland.

Sunrise on the first day of each season underlines the relationship between the temples and celestial bodies. Although it is not known for certain whether these orientations were intentional, they are so systematic that this is very probable. In prehistoric agricultural societies, observation of the motion of the stars, the moon and sun could have been related to the changing seasons and times of planting and harvesting crops.

On these days, the first rays of the sun light up the edge of a megalith found to the right of the central doorway connecting the first pair of chamber to the inner chamber of the Lower Mnajdra Temple.

Event Tickets & Further Info
Tickets are €15 for the general public and €10 for Heritage Malta members and are strictly on a first-come-first-served basis. You can buy tickets from any Heritage Malta site as well as the Heritage Malta head office, Old University Buildings, Merchants Street, Valletta. Tel: +356 22 954 000. On the mornings, participants meet at Hagar Qim Temple at 6.15 hrs.

For further information, see the Heritage Malta website.

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A living crib at the 'Bethlehem of Ghajnsielem', Gozo

We list the Christmassy things to do on the Maltese Islands this festive season. We all know (and usually love) the regular pantomimes that run throughout the holiday weeks, but there’s a host of other seasonal things to do. We’ve the overtly religious and the less religious, but fun and festive – ranging from the magical carol concert in St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta, to fun events like theatre for the kids.

So, scroll on down the long list, and take your pick from the bunch. See also our What’s On for a whole lot more…

Cribs & Nativity

Christmas Village at Ghajnsielem, Gozo
6 December – 9 January 2010
Details: Bethlehem in Ghajnsielem website
Ghajnsielem Local Council has come up with a new and unique attraction this year – a Nativity Village which is set up just off the town’s main square. It includes an animated crib as well as a mock-up village with a carpenter, blacksmith’s, bakery, a market selling natural fruits, fresh fish and vegetables, a tavern, a local crafts area and a stable hosting the animals. For more information contact Ghajnsielem Local Council
Email: info@ghajnsielem.com

Christmas at the Inquisitor’s Palace
Friday 11th December at 19.00 hrs.
Heritage Malta is organising a Christmas-themed ‘experience’ at the Inquisitors Palace, Vittoriosa. The event includes a tour of the miniature cribs on permanent display, and a crib and pasturi (figurine) making session and a themed supper. Ideal for all the family.
Tickets from the Inquisitors Palace, The National Museum of Fine Arts the Domvs Romana and the Museum of Archaeology in Gozo. For details, contact Judy Camilleri on 22954312.

Christmas Cribs Exhibition, Auberge d’Italie, Valletta,
19 December 2009 – 6 January, 2010
The Tourism Secretariat and the Malta Tourism Authority join forces with the Ghaqda Hbieb tal-Presepju, (Malta), to put on a Christmas Cribs exhibition inside the premises of the Secretariat at the Auberge D’Italie.
25 cribs on display together with two impressive floral decorations and numerous paintings and ceramic and displays. One particular crib features Herod’s temple.
Times: open daily from with the exception of 25 December, 1 January and Sundays. 09:00 to 18.00hrs, Monday to Friday; and 09:30 – 12:30 on Saturdays. Entrance is free.
Details: and to find out about Malta’s crib traditions visit: www.presepjumalta.org.

Carol Concerts, Church Mass & Music

St George’s Square XMAS Events, Valletta, 10 December, from 17.00.
17:00 – Concert by Tenor Aldo Busuttil and the University Junior College Orchestra
18:30 – March by the National Philharmonic Society La Valette and the King’s Own Band Club
19:30 – Musical concert by the Valletta Band Clubs
Note: St George’s Square has events on other days in December: 11, 12, 16, 18,19, 20, 21 (Malta Police Band Xmas concert, 21st & 24th), 22 (Malta Armed Forces Xmas Concert).

‘Musical Tidings’, choral concert by The New Choral Singers
St Francis Church, Valletta
12 December, 20.00
Details: www.thenewchoralsingers.com
The programme includes traditional carols from medieval times and the renaissance through to contemporary works. Audience participation for some popular numbers!
Entrance: Free but a collection will be held in aid of Caritas Malta.
Email: info@thenewchoralsingers.com

Mass for School Children at St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta
16 December, 11.30
See Cathedral website for details.

Ceremony of Carols at St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta
17 December, 19.30 – 22.30
A Ceremony of Carols is The Amadeus Chamber Choir’s 19th edition of ‘A Prelude to Christmas’. It comprises a selection of traditional Christmas carols, featuring compositions by Benjamin Britten which the 30-strong choir sing to the accompaniment of a chamber orchestra. All proceeds will be in aid of Puttinu Cares.
Entrance: Invitations may be acquired against a donation of €5 per person.
Invitations available at: Lotto Office Kiosk, Valletta (opposite BOV in Republic Street) – mob. 7920 0118
Marlow’s Stationery, Triq il-Qasam Swieqi – mob. 9989 0931, tel. 2137 1210, or
Email: theamadeuschoir@gmail.com

A Christmas Celebration, St Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina Cathedral, Mdina.
18 December, 19.30 – 21.00.
The St Monica Choir will be teaming with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra once again for a concert that’s billed as ‘a perfect introduction to the festive season’. The event will be held under the patronage of H.E. Dr George Abela and Mrs Abela to raise funds for the Community Chest Fund. Conductor: Michael Laus.

Carol Concerts & Christmas Mass: St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral (Anglican), Valletta, and other Anglican churches in Malta.
Various concerts and services in the run-up to Christmas. For details, see: www.anglicanmalta.org
11 December: Arlene Barlow’s Christmas Concert 19.30 pm
16 December: Ecumenical Carol Service – Fontana Parish Church Gozo
20 December: Nine Lessons & Carols – Pro Cathedral, Valletta 18.00
21 December: Nine Lessons & Carols – Holy Trinity Church, Sliema 18.30
23 December: Eucharist, Lessons and Carols – Seminary Gozo 11.00
24 December: Midnight Mass – St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral 23.30
24 December: Midnight Mass – Holy Trinity 23.30
Christmas Day Service – Holy Trinity 10.00
Christmas Day Service – St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral 11.00

Enkor Gospel Choir, St James’ Church, Merchants Street, Valletta
19 December, 13.30

Vocal & Harp Reciptal, St Barbara Church, Valletta
23 December, 11.00

Special Outdoor Events

St George’s Square XMAS Events, Valletta, 8 December
Parades, face-painting, brass bands, concerts and more, at this public holiday event in the capital. Starts at 11.00 with the Scout and Guide parade and goes on into the evening with a gospel choir at 8pm.

Kids

Pantomine (in Maltese): Robin ‘inn’ Cruise Ohhhhh!,
St. Mary’s Church – Gudja
5, 6, 7 & 8 December. 19.30 – 20.00.
Tickets: tel: 7920 3805
Another rip-roaring panto by the Gudja Youth Group. Robin ‘ZINN’ Cruise Ohhhhh! promises to be in the full panto spirit of song, dance and wacky costumes. Good all-round family entertainment.

The Children’s Magical Christmas
8 December, by drama group Curtain Raiser at Buskett Roadhouse, Buskett Gardens, 10.00 – 20.00
All day long Christmas activities for children with five different interactive shows, as well as bouncy Castles, christmas treasure hunt with Captain Hook, face painting, children’s Christmas disco, Christmas food stalls, Christmas characters such as gingerbread man, snowman, Father Christmas, elves and more …
Details: tel: 2189-5072 / 7991-8857 or email: info@curtainraiser.org> or see www.curtainraiser.org.

Fantasy Circus
10 December – 3 January, 2010, venue: Blata l-Bajda (approach to Valletta)
Ticket hotlines: 99999964/ 71494106/ 99515042
Price: Adults €10; Children €5

Downtown Fairytown, a musical Christmas bash for children aged 3-7 at St James Cavalier, Valletta.
19 December – 10 January
Talking houses, aliens visiting at Christmas time, fairies preparing for their Christmas show, a nasty Witch ready to spoil all the fun, a robot who wants to know all about Christmas, and much more!
Monday – Wednesday shows at 6pm
Thursday: No shows
Saturday – Sunday shows at 2pm and 6pm

Santa’s Kingdom, Splash & Fun Grounds
18 December – 3 January, 2010. 18.00 – 23.55.
See: www.splashandfun.com.mt or call: 21 374286.
Billed as two weeks of magic, music and merriment. Visit the Enchanted Forest and walk through Santa’s House. Meet Santa, Mrs Claus and those mischievous little elves. A Fairytale come to life. Plus crib, animated figures and the Christmas story relived.

Aladdin, The Pantomine, Manoel Theatre, Valletta
18 December 2009 – 6 January, 20.00hrs.
Details & Tickets see: Manoel Theatre website
Masquerade presents a traditional pantomime at the Manoel Theatre. New ideas may be, but set in a traditional context, with a well-written and locally-based script. A must for pantomime lovers.
Performance dates: Mon – Fri at 7.30pm; Sat & Sun 3pm & 8pm; and from Saturday 2nd January 2010 to Wednesday 6th January 2010:
Time: Mon – Fri at 7.30pm; Sat & Sun 3pm & 8pm.

Peter Panto at MFCC, Ta’ Qali
18 December 2009 – 3 January 2010.
Runs: 20.00 to 23.00 hrs.
Details, see: Malta Amateur Dramatic Company website.
The MADC presents a fresh take on the classic tale of Peter Pan with a script written by Nanette Brimmer and directed by Alan Montanaro, who is also playing Captain Hook. The MADC has secured the services of Nick Kirkby, whose great-grandfather took care of the flying for J.M. Barrie in the original production of ‘Peter Pan’!
Tickets start from Euro 10. Children’s tickets are discounted and are valid for children aged 10 and under. Booking is open at www.madc.biz or tel. no: 7979MADC (6232).

Photo: courtesy of Bethlehem of Ghajnsielem

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Norbert Bugeja, a master of metaphor and a teller of city dwellers' tales

We often hear the analogy that Malta is a city surrounded by water. And it’s true, our environment is increasingly urban, high rise and densely populated. But a city is more than this stereotype. One man who has spent more time than most in analysing the meaning and metaphor of the ‘city’ is Norbert Bugeja, one of Malta’s leading, young, contemporary poets. We’ll get a chance to see him perform his poetry at the launch of his new anthology ‘Bliet’ (Cities) at 8pm, Friday, 11 December, in the Music Room at St James Cavalier Center for Creativity, Valletta.

Bugeja’s new work is being considered a major contribution to contemporary literature in Maltese. His performance will be accompanied by leading percussionist Renzo Spiteri and acclaimed actor/performer Nicole Bugeja. At the launch, Norbert will perform some of his most popular poems. You’re advised to book early as the event is expected to attract a good audience.

The poems in ‘Bliet’ capture the ‘here and now’ of urban living in cities and towns in and around the Mediterranean as well as in Malta. Bugeja’s poetry carries with it the fascination with journeying, hot on the trail of those unusual stories hidden behind the thick walls, backstreets, squares and narrow pathways where this country and her shadow-cities carry on with their everyday chores.

‘Bliet’ is a relentless autopsy of every nook and cranny we live in and Bugeja leaves no stone unturned. It’s a story in image, rhythm and metaphor; the exhilarating diary of an urban soul that will take you around the steps, ruins, lanes, shopping malls, arenas and rivers that shape the city’s body. From Valletta to Cordoba, from Rome to Seville and Tangiers, from the Birgu’s to the Diju Balli’s of the mind’s eye, ‘Bliet’ is a masterful portrait of our cities’ explosive interiors.

Fellow poet, and critic, Maria Grech Ganado has this to say of Bugeja’s work: “Norbert’s poems remind me of sculpture, with the wind as sculptor. His metaphors are among the strongest I have ever read, his rhythms trance-like. His cities are hewn out of rock but just as simultaneously out of sand. Reading him is like finding a treasure, a rewarding and, to me, a unique experience.’ ‘Bliet’ comes too with an introduction by Dr Adrian Grima, a foremost Maltese literary critic and poet in his own right.

Biog: Norbert Bugeja is a leading writer within the new movement of Maltese literature. His poetry has been published in international poetry journals and read during various poetry festivals. In 2005, he published his first collection of verse, ‘Stay, Fairy Tale, Stay! Memoirs of a City Cast Adrift’ (Midsea Books/Inizjamed, 2005). Norbert Bugeja was awarded his BA (Hons) and MA in English from the University of Malta. As a Commonwealth Doctoral Scholar, he is currently concluding his doctoral thesis and lecturing at the University of Warwick in the UK.

‘Bliet’ is now on sale and is available at major booksellers in Malta and Gozo.

The Event – launch of ‘Bliet’: Norbert Bugeja’s new anthology
When: Friday, 11 December 2009, 8pm.
Where: The Music Room, St James Cavalier, Valletta

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A weekend of blending cutural pleasures - wine, art, books - at Valletta's Fine Arts Museum

Valletta may be more well known for its history and cultural past than its cultural present. But it’s been doing very well of late in living up to its name as it plays host to all sorts of literary, musical, artistic, festive, theatrical and gastronomic events, month in month out.

This weekend sees another art and wine special at the National Museum of Fine Arts, South Street, with a programme throughout 28 & 29 November. The event is aimed at giving us ‘ a passport to enter a world of colours, visit amazing places and meet interesting people…’.

So, it’s a bit of a medley really, but sounds worth investigating, especially if you’ve kids in tow, or are at a loose end – Sunday afternoon, characters in historical costume will be walking the museum’s corridors! And adults might like the ‘Art & Wine @ South Street’ on Saturday evening – another in what’s become a series of such evenings. This time, Maltese contemporary artist Caesar Attard is discussing his works.

Midsea Books, which is co-hosting the event along with Heritage Malta, has a range of their Melintensia books on sale, to complement the talks, presentations, exhibits, and films.

Other highlights:
Saturday at 11.00 hrs, art historian Lino Borg will discuss printing techniques; and there will be what are described as ‘historic films’ screened in the afternoon.
Sunday morning sees a special presentation of Midsea Book’s publication of The Year Baroque Painting in Malta, delivered by its author Keith Sciberras PhD. Sunday afternoon, graphic artist Mark Scicluna, designer of a set of five bookmarks featuring artists represented in the National Collection, will be around.
Fun & Fact:
There are story-telling sessions at times throughout the weekend, as well as special tours for those who may not have ventured into the world of art before. The event also includes music, book prizes and a quiz desk.

Admission:
Entrance to the museum will be free on Saturday and Sunday but donations are welcomed. Further information from Heritage Malta.

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