José Herrera, Parliamentary Secretary for Culture and the Local Government yesterday evening unveiled a series of activities in Valletta for the Christmas festivities. “It’s Christmas in Valletta” activities have been planned to target every person and family choosing Valletta to shop, eat, drink and entertain.
Parliamentary Secretary Herrera stated that these activities are the fruit of collaboration between the Parliamentary Secretariat and the Valletta Local Council, the Valletta 2018 Foundation, the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, the Valletta Business Community, iValletta.com and Pjazza Teatru Rjal. Dr. Herrera said that Valletta offers the ideal backdrop for the Christmas festivities as it can offer a complete experience. He stated that these activities also form part of the run-up to Valletta 2018.
Valletta is always buzzing with activity, especially during this time of year. “The synergies created between stakeholders are a fantastic example of the way culture, business and people can collaborate to be of benefit to Valletta and all those who visit it. We are working hard to find more ways of making this synergy work, especially in the run-up to Valletta 2018, and beyond. There are a lot of things people can do in Valletta; Valletta offers a fantastic experience to all those people who visit it for shopping, cultural events, history and entertainment.”
Valletta Mayor Dr. Alexiei Dingli said that the Valletta Local Council welcomes all efforts to encourage people to re-discover the Valletta experience. He said that the capital city has made great strides forward in this respect, and the support and admiration of the thousands who visit Valletta every day and during Christmas time is ample proof of this. “Local or foreign, everyone feels welcome in Valletta. We really have a capital city to be proud of”, said Dr. Dingli.
The Chairperson of the Valletta 2018 Foundation Jason Micallef stated that activities in Valletta all contribute to the buildup to 2018, when Valletta becomes the European Capital City of Culture. He stated that events such as this help more people to become more aware of the essence of what Valletta 2018 represents, and persuade more people to participate actively in making Valletta a hub of activity. Mr. Micallef emphasized that “Culture belongs to the people, and their participation will move us closer to achieving our objectives of a capital city that is worthy of its name”
The programme of activities in Valletta is a mix of all that is Maltese, and also provides opportunities for artists and students to share their talent. Activities range from the traditional, such caroling, the Baby Jesus procession and crafts, to more modern presentations, such as 3D projection mapping. The activities will end with the New Year’s Eve celebrations on December 31st.