In Independence Square, Victoria, a richly nostalgic exhibition Il-Ferħ tal-Milied fi Tfuliti (The joy of Christmas in my childhood) is the art equivalent of a heart-warming mug of the traditional chestnut drink imbuljata tal-qastan.

The collection by Gozitan artist George Apap includes a number of large watercolours, a wide range of multilayered boxed paintings based on old pop-up Christmas cards, and several 3D cribs under starry skies created in the same way.

Gozitan artist George Apap.

In paintings drawn directly from memories of childhood Christmases in Xagħra, Apap, now 77, recollects with great fondness the simple things that gave such pleasure, such as writing Christmas cards, listening to stories and decorating the Christmas cake.

The scenes may be personal to Apap’s family, yet anyone who grew up on the island and remembers Christmas in the 1940s and 1950s will find them instantly evocative.

In the series, Apap shows how his brother Ninu built a crib each year with love, patience and clay gathered from the Marsalforn valley and how his sister Teresina and he found small stones for rubble walls from an alley close to their house where chickens roamed.

The fun of putting the 'pasturi' in the crib.

“Ninu would start about two weeks before Christmas. He used painted scenery at the back and sides with a blue sky made from kite paper. It was a large crib with the old city of Bethlehem, many hills, valleys and bridges, and we always had two caves and lots of angels.

“My father used to lower a light from the chandelier while my sister Teresina and I decorated the room with paper streamers,” Apap explains.

The Xagħra village square shop where Netta sold traditional toys like hoops and spinning tops

Another picture shows Apap’s father, the village organist, at the piano with a choir of villagers rehearsing behind him as shy young Geoge peeks from behind a curtain.

The exhibition also takes the visitor into a small shop in Xagħra village square where the shopkeeper Netta sold traditional toys like hoops and spinning tops, soldiers and drums at Christmas time.

A non-selling exhibition presented simply for people to enjoy

Many of the cards Apap bought there with the pennies his mother gave him for running errands are still in his collection, some of which are on display.  “My father was a great collector of cards and as children my siblings and I loved to see them, especially the pop-up ones. These gave me the idea to make the ‘boxed cards’ which are based on designs from my father’s collection which I still keep today,” Apap smiles.

Caroling in Victorian times.

These range from depictions of Victorian England with robins and richly dressed children playing in the snow to Santa’s workshop.

“On Christmas Eve, my mother encouraged us to go out and play on the street all day long so that we’d be so tired we’d sleep all night long because she used to tell us that if Father Christmas came and found us awake, he will pass us by and we’d get no presents,” Apap continues.

A painting by the Gozitan artist shows his mother holding a kerosene lantern smiling down on her son tucked up in bed on Christmas Eve.

One charming window into the past shows George’s mother holding a kerosene lantern smiling down on her son tucked up in bed, a wicker basket beside him in the hope that Santa will call.

It’s a privilege to be able to share these memories with Apap, and – particularly as this is a non-selling exhibition presented simply for people to enjoy – it’s a wonderful antidote to seasonal consumerism.

Santa's workshop

“I hope these pictures will communicate something of the simple way of life that we enjoyed here when I was a child, the joyful times we had and how, even with very little, we had everything!” says George.

Il-Ferħ tal-Milied fi Tfuliti is showing at the Banca Giuratale of Victoria located in Independence Square, open Monday to Friday 8am-2pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-12pm until Tuesday, December 27.

The three kings coming from the orient.