I love Mdina but these days I generally only venture there when I have friends visiting and ask to see it. The carpark right outside always seems to be full up and so is the bigger one further away. I no longer do 'difficult'. And Mdina is not easy. Every time I receive an invitation to go there for some event I resolve to go 'this time' but more often than not, when the day arrives,  I don't.

And cribs? I've seen so many in my long life. Live ones, pretty ones, ugly ones, Ethiopian ones, Mauritian ones...I've visited them with children and now grandchildren so a banner with presepju on it no longer excites me.

One no longer gets excited about much at a certain age anyway.

However, this year I received an elegant invitation to the inauguration of the 18^th century Neapolitan crib at the Mdina cathedral. A low voice seemed to push me into going for this was, surely, a good start to Christmas.

We think we have bid farewell to our childhood but in fact it stays with us till the end. Our faith does, too, even if the practice of it is intermittent it still directs our lives whether we know it or not. How can we leave it out of account when our young years were saturated in it? It laid siege to me on all sides - from without by means of its liturgy and church observances, by the glittering signposts which marked the course of the year, their splendour mingling with the candles of the Christmas crib, the spring-time smells of Easter... From within by the habit which I acquired very early of talking to somebody whom I could not see, though he could see me, and to whom I was answerable for even the least of my thoughts and of the constant risk I ran of an eternity determined by my sins. Uncertainty, mystery and darkness... please someone help my unbelief.

I found parking in the bigger carpark in Rabat and planned, with one of my grandsons who came along, to go for a couple of cheesecakes once the ceremony was over.

The event was organised by the Metropolitan Chapter and the Museum Commission under the Curatorship of Mgr Dr Edgar Vella who is also curator of the Cathedral Museum with its fabulous Albrecht Dürer collection.

The inauguration ceremony was fairly brief with beautiful a cappella singing by the Hebron Choir of Gharb Gozo conducted by Mro Antoine Mercieca. Popular carols in English, Maltese and Italian were sung which immediately put those present in a Christmas mood. My seven-year-old grandson seemed to be enjoying it too but at the end kept on asking  " When are we going to eat pastizzi from Rabat, nanna?"

Archbishop Scicluna said a few significant words and emphasised that we should go on celebrating Christmas until the feast of The Three Kings on 6^th January referring to The 12 days of Christmas.

 In acknowledgement of this I did not pack up the Christmas tree and crib early this year.

Another Monsignor said a few words too as did Mons Vella himself whose theme was the 18^th century Neapolitan crib which was at the back of the church.

He told us that the Mdina Metropolitan Cathedral was hosting the monumental Neapolitan crib for the fifth consecutive year. It has no less than two hundred original and authentic presepio figurines which render the setting as the most spectacular, colourful and dramatic interpretation of the Nativity of Our Lord. The most particular element in this tradition is, that the Neapolitans uprooted the nativity scene from Palestine and implanted it in the core of their city bustling with activity, noise, and charm.

Mgr Vella said that in the first week of December he gathers his team of volunteers to assist in the mounting of this display. Their first task is to mount the stage and the diorama, thus creating a small theatre.  Then the structure of classical ruins, bridges, taverns, rock formations and a fountain are placed with great precision to fit perfectly and create an impression of a whole scenario. While the structure is being mounted the figures will find their place according to their role in the tableaux and their size. Placing the small figurines in the background and the largest in the foreground creates an optical illusion of depth. He then paid homage to his volunteers: "Only with the help and most valid contribution of the volunteers would the setting up of this presepio be possible," Mons Vella emphasised. Every year he tries to add something new to the crib - and this is no cheap undertaking from what I gathered.

We then went to have a closer look at this magnificent crib. It is crowded with a wealth of characters. The Holy Family is set in the ruins of a pagan temple symbolizing the new era of Christianity which takes over from the ancient pagan religion. The Nativity is surmounted by a spectacular host of angels and cherubs cascading over the newborn Messiah.

The Magi, dressed in their finery, are accompanied by a long retinue of exotic characters which includes pages, slaves, odalisques and musicians.  The details are impressive and I cannot begin to imagine the amount of work involved at every stage.

The crib is full of symbolism for those who wish to interpret the scenes. The characters in the tavern are in a happy mood dining, chatting, singing and playing cards, musical instruments and dancing. This scene symbolizes the inn keepers of Bethlehem who did not provide shelter for Joseph and a pregnant Mary. The characters represent materialism and are ignoring the true meaning of Christmas while giving their backs to the central scene. 

The fountain, in Baroque style, symbolizes the water of baptism, and the water of eternal life as expressed by Jesus to the woman of Samaria.

The whole presepio is set in broad daylight which represents Christ as the light of the world, Christos Helios. The Christmas celebration on the 25^th of December, which was the pagan festivity of Dies Solis, was transformed by the early church to the solemnity of the birth of Jesus Christ, the light of the world.

We were invited "to open our hearts this Christmas and embrace the spirit of the newborn Saviour who fills our hearts with his goodness, joy and peace."

The crib is on display until today. If you don't make it make sure you will next year.

After taking a good look at the crib we finally got to the pastizzeria to my grandson's delight but it was full of men and no table was available. So we sat in the car and ate our pastizzi there while I tried to answer his questions. "Yes, Yes Theo. You are right. God is boss not nanna."

[email protected]