Hsieb Spiritwali ghall-Milied 2008:

Spiritual thought for Christmas 2008: 

Biex taqra hsieb spiritwali kollu miktub minn Dun Christopher Galea : Aghfas hawn. To read the whole spiritual thought written by Fr. Christopher Galea: Click Here.

 

 

IL-PRESEPJU TAGHNA L-MALTIN.

 

            Ghal bosta minna l-Maltin, Milied minghajr presepju mhux Milied shih anzi jkun Milied bla sens, il-gibda taghna lejn il-presepju hija xi haga tradizzjonali gejja min mindu konna zghar. Fi ckunitna kien ikun l-ghors taghna naraw lil missierna jhejjilna dak il-presepju ckejken biex narmaw fi djarna. Il-Presepju huwa parti mill-Folklor taghna, li tradizzjonalment ifakkarna fill-grajja tat-twelid tal-Messija li maz-zmien ma baqax jikkonsisti fi grotta jew gharix imma f’mudell ta’wied jew rahal shih.

            Jinghad li l-ewwel presepju fill-gzejjer Maltin kien dak li sar mill-patrijiet Dumnikani tal-Belt fl-1617 ohrajn jghidu li kienu s-sorijiet Benedittini fl-Imdina fl-1826. Barra dawn fis-snin ta' wara jissemmew presepji ohra bhal dak li kien jarma l-Belt Fra Benedetto Papale fl-1875 li kien sqalli li ghamel xi zmien jghix Malta. Jinghad li fl-1870 Antonio Fenech kien jarma presepju mekkaniku li jahdem bl-ilma f’Hal Qormi. Jissemma ukoll Duminku Pace li hadem presepju kbir f’tas-Sliema fl-1877. Dawn il-presepji antiki kolla spiccaw minn barra dak li hemm fill-Monasteru tas-sorijiet Benedittini fl-Imdina li ghadu jintrama u li igib id-data tal-1826. L-antenati taghna ghalkemm foqra, minn dejjem ghamlu li setaw biex il-Milied iffesteggjawh kif jixraq bil-presepju jew il-grotta tal-Bambin tkun ic-centru tal-familja f’dawk iz-zminijiet.

             Is-seklu dsatax gab mieghu sviluppi godda u hekk ukoll gara mill-presepju.

Xi familji sinjuri gewwa Malta gabu minn Napli presepji sbieh u artistici fuq still naplitan li ghall kemm kien fihom xoghol artistiku ma nizlux tant tajjeb mal- Maltin. Forsi minhabba l-kuluri jghajjtu u l-istil taghhom. Il-maltin kienu iktar migbuda lejn l-istil tal-presepju sqalli u fill-fatt hafna  mill-karatteristici ta dan il-presepju insibuhom ukoll f’dak Malti. Minkejja dan, il-presepju Malti maz-zmien beda jiehu l-karattru partikulari tieghu, bl-ilbies tal-pasturi li kienu isiru tat-tafal, bhal ma hi is-sidrija, it-terha, il-milsa, l-beritta u l-qorq. Dawn kollha jikkumplementaw mal-girna, il-mithna tar-rih u Snajja tradizzjonali Maltin fejn fost dawn insibu l-ghannejja, d-daqqaqa tal-kiterra, taz-zaqq, taz-zavzava u tat-tambur, ir-raghjja, il-bidwi, l-bejjieh tal-hut u l-furnar, flimkien mar-rieqed, max-xabbatur u l-ghageb tal-presepju.

            Nistghu nghidu li ghalkemm dawn il-pasturi maghrufa ukoll bhala pasturi tas-sold, ghax daqshekk kienu jinbieghu, ma kienux xi kapolavur tal-arti pero kienu huma li taw l-imbuttatura li kellu bzonn il-presepju Malti. Wisq propabbli li din il-popolarita’ kienet wasslet biex f’kull dar kont issib xi forma ta' presepju jew grotta maghmula mill-karti tas-siment jew tal-gazzetti imwahhla ma xulxin jew inkella mibnija minn gebel rustiku li kien jingabar minn go ix-xaghri jew gagazza li kienet tkun fdalijiet tal-faham minn ghand xi haddied jew mix-xatt fejn kienu jitrakkaw il-vapuri.

            Din it-tradizzjoni nisranija kompliet tidhol fid-djar Maltin bis-sahha tal-qaddis taghna l-Maltin San Gorg Preca fejn kien jinsisti mas-soci tal-MUSEUM li t'a kull sena ghall-Milied imqaddes kellhom jaghtu xi forma presepju jew grotta lit-tfal kolla li kienu jaghllmu. Barra dan lejliet il-Milied ta' l-1921 organizzaw l-ewwel purcissjoni bill-bambin Gesu`. Billi ma tantx kienu ppreparati ghal din il-purcissjoni, ma kellhomx Bambin addattat u meta marru biex jixtru wiehed ma sabu imkien. Kien ghalhekk issellfu wiehed minghand Patri Frangiskan mill-Belt. Il-Bambin zammu f’idejh wiehed mis-soci. Bhala tizjin kellhom ukoll fanali jixeghlu bl-acitilena. Flimkien ma ghad gmielu ta innijiet Maltin tal-Milied fost l-iktar popolari “Ninni La Tibkix Izjed” li inkitbet mill-patri Gizwita Indri Schembri minn Hal Luqa fl-1864. Minn dik is-sena 'l hawn din l-purcissjoni bil-Bambin xterdet ma Malta u Ghawdex.

            Mit-tieni gwerra dinjija 'l hawn il-presepju fil-gzejjer Maltin ha zvolta l-quddiem, fejn dahal l-eletriku, l-kolla tal-mastrudaxxa, l-injam, iz-zeba, l-gablow u l-pasturi bdew gejjin mill-Italja. Ghall hekk il-presepji bdew jikbru u jizbiehu artistikament, bdew jidhru ukoll xi presepji mekkanizzati, fejn propju l-ewwel wiehed li deher kien dak tal-istitut tas-sorijiet ta’Gesu Nazzarenu taz-Zejtun fl-1947. Il-pasturi ta' dan il-presepju li kienu antiki tal-injam u l-gibs imlibsin hwejjeg tad-drapp kienu nghataw lis-sorijiet minn xi benefattur sinjur. Ix-xoghol tal-kartapesta sar minn Walter Zahra u Guzeppi Camileri. L-isqof Galea kien  benefattur kbir ta' dan il-presepju. Il-pasturi kienu jigu imcaqalqa bl-idejn fejn kienu jorbtulhom spaga u it-tfal tal-istitut kienu jidhlu taht il-palk li kien jintrama fuqu dan il-presepju u joqodu jigbdu l-ispaga biex dawn l-imberkin pasturi jiccaqalqu. Aktar tard Pawlu Pavia ha hsieb li dan il-presepju mekkaniku jithaddem bl-eletriku.

            Fil-bidu tas-sittinijiet gewwa l-Mosta kien jintrama presepju mekkaniku tassew artistiku li kien jithaddem bl-ilma ,bicca xoghol kbira u sabiha

Li harget min idejn l-mejjet Giuseppi Fenech bniedem fenominali li konna nghidu: ‘dak li jaraw ghajnejh jaghmluh idejh’.

            Illum il-gurnata il-presepju f’Malta ghamel passi ta' ggant bis-sahha tal-Ghaqda Hbieb tal-Presepju, il-kazini, centri parrokjali u individwi ohra li qeghdin jaghmlu kapolavuri tal-genn u il-gvern Malti flimkien mal-kunsilli Lokali qeghdin jaghtu importanza lil presepju taghna l-Maltin fejn qeghdin jigu organizzati kompetizzjonijiet fi klassijiet differenti u fl-istess hin dawn l-presepji qed ikun attrazzjoni turistika.

 

 

 

 

The Typical Maltese Crib

 

            For us Maltese, A Christmas without a crib is not a Christmas at all; in fact,our attraction for the crib is something that starts from childhood. During our childhood, it used to be a great joy seeing grown-ups setting that small crib in our home. Apart from being a folklore relic, the crib is also a traditional reminder of the Messiah’s birth; eventually it developed from a small grotto or shed to a complex of a valley or a whole village.

            The story goes that the first large crib in the Maltese Islands was that of the Dominican Friars of Valletta back in 1617. However others state that the first one was exhibited by the Benidictines Nuns of the Old Capital Mdina in 1826. A Sicilian Monk living in Malta, Brother Benedetto Papale used to exhibit a crib in Valletta in 1875. It is also said that in 1870, Antonio Fenech, had a water-operated mechanical crib in Qormi. Another notable crib was that by Domenico Pace of Sliema ( 1877). Unfortunately, none of these remain, save that of the afore-mentioned Benedictine Nuns of Mdina. This shows that our forefathers, even if they lived in poverty, used to feast this occasion with the crib, which used to be the family’s main attraction.

            The nineteenth century was a century of developments; this also affected the crib. The famous Neapolitan crib began appearing in Malta at that time; often owned by rich and well-to-do families. Despite having a lot of artistic merit, their eclectic style and very bright colours were disliked by many of the Maltese who preferred the Sicilian crib, whose style is similar to that of the Maltese crib. Even so, a typical Maltese crib was developed with the attire of the clay-figure being typically Maltese, consisting of a waistcoat, a sash, a cap and sandals. To complement this, they added the girna ( a stone hut) , a windmill and elements of Maltese folklore with the folk singers and also players with instruments such as the guitar, the bagpipe, the ‘zavzava’ and the drums. Worthy to mention are characters like the shepherd, the farmer, the fish vendor and the baker, together with the sleeping man, the climber and infamous amazed man.

            These figures used to be sold at a rather cheap price and were not a work of art, however they helped in the development of the Maltese Crib. This made the crib very popular, to the extent that a crib made from cement sack bits or newspapers could be virtually found in every home. Other cribs were built from rubble stoned and coal-bits, which during this age of steam were often found in various areas.

            The Maltese Saint, Father George Preca made a very important move in this area. The founder of the Christian Doctrine Society (MUSEUM) used to insisist with his fellows that they had to give a crib to the children they used to teach during Christmas time. But the most important was that he began the procession with the effigy of the Baby Jesus in 1921, in the town of Hamrun. Since the fellows had virtually nothing for the procession, they had to search for such an effigy. Eventually they found a one that was owned by a Franciscan Friar from Valletta. During the procession, one of the fellows held the effigy in his hands accompanied by others holding acytelene lamps. The Christmas hyms complemented the procession, the most popular being ‘ Ninni la Tibkix Izjed’ (Sleep, cry no more) written in 1864 by the Jesuit Priest Father Andrea Schembri from Luqa. From that year onwards, this procession began to be held in virtually all parishes of Malta and Gozo.

            Following the Second World War, electricity, more advanced types of glue , wood and expanded polistyrene further strengthened the crib tradition. To add to this, more refined figures began to be imported from Italy. Therefore, it is no wonder that cribs became larger and more artistic. Mechanical cribs started to appear, the most famous being that of the Sisters of Jesus the Nazarene in Zejtun back in 1947. The wooden figures dressed in rich material are very old and were given to the Sisters by a well-to-do benefactor. The papier-mache work was done by Walter Zahra and Joseph Camilleri. Auxiliary Bishop Emanuel Galea was a great benefactor of this crib. At first, the figures used to be moved by hand; children from the Sisters’ orphanage used to hide beneath it and pull a series of strings to make the figures move. Later, Paul Pavia converted the crib to a one operated by electricity. This crib used to be visited by hundreds of people  from all Malta.

            In the early 1960’s a mechanical crib used to be exhibited in Mosta; it was a very artistic crib that was water-operated. This magnificent crib was the work of the late Joseph Fenech, a man of skilled and crafty hands.

            The crib tradition did not disappear, on the contrary, it is becoming more popular. The Friends of the Crib Society, Clubs, Parish Centred and other individuals are making these cribs a masterpiece and they are often aided by the Maltese Government and Local Councils. Infact various crib competitions are being held. Apart from that, the cribs are being a tourist attraction.

 

Written by Greg Caruana.

Translated by Kevin Muscat