In this latest lifestyle blog, three MDX students tell us how they celebrate Christmas at home - in Malta, France and Poland
A typical Christmas day in Malta (taken 2016)
For the majority of Maltese families, Christmas is the most awaited day of the year and my family is no exception to that rule.
(Left to right) My sister, cousin and I, posing in front of the Christmas crib at granny's, 1999
Celebrations start on Christmas Eve, with midnight service at mass followed by a full English breakfast at a local restaurant. Christmas day in Malta is all about family and food. In Christmases gone by, we would always go to my grandparents’ house where after a four-course meal, we would gather in the living room and exchange presents. Ever since my granny passed away six years ago, we continue to keep this tradition alive, and so each year, we gather at my aunt’s house and celebrate Christmas just as we did when I was a child.
Annual Christmas gathering with my closest friends (and Duke), 2016
Besides being excited to celebrate this year’s Christmas back home in the presence of family, I am also eager to spend some quality time with my closest friends over a hot mug of hot chocolate and classic Christmas-themed mad libs.
Celebrating Christmas in France, you might think, involves a lot of food, wine and all kind of cheeses. And you'd be right, it does.
In the run up to the 24th of December, my family and I brainstorm ideas to come up with the perfect menu for the big day. My favourite thing about Christmas, however, is the time I get to spend with my siblings and cousin. The five of us have one unavoidable ritual: when our parents are away in the kitchen, we go to find the presents and we try to guess what is inside the wrapping. Here we are (pic above), trying to find out what lies beneath.....
Boże Narodzenie - means Christmas in Polish.
What I love most about our Christmas? Decorating the tree with my Dad - we always buy a real tree, so the whole house is filled with that woody fresh Christmassy fragrance. Figuring out what presents to buy and shopping with my Mum, who spends hours and hours deliberating over one tiny decision (while I’m trying my best not to get annoyed).
I enjoy helping my Granny with the cooking, but what I love more is eating all the dishes she prepares (dumplings!). One of our traditions is preparing an extra plate - in case a stranger would like to join us for dinner, because during Christmas everyone is welcome.
However, the most important thing about this holiday is being together. And that’s what I love most about our Christmas.
