Love is the greatest gift a person can receive, so it was no surprise to hear many local shoppers cite it as their favourite Christmas gift.

But what other remarkable presents are people in Malta hoping to find under the tree this festive season?

Times of Malta unwrapped some Christmas wishes when we stopped to chat to shoppers about gifts given and received this week.

“I want love from my children, the family, my husband. There is nothing better than that,” Daphne Sammut said at a Sliema shopping centre.

Company is the best present you can give- Sebastian Cortiz

Sebastian Cortiz

Sebastian Cortiz said Christmas is not about material gifts but about how much you can give of your soul and heart. “Company is the best present you can give,” Cortiz said.

Mike Dimbleby said the birth of his son was the best present he could ever ask for. “The best gift was my son, born on December 24, 1979,” said Dimbleby, busy shopping for Christmas gifts. “It was the most special Christmas I ever had, or ever likely to have; it was beautiful at 10 o’clock on Christmas Eve,” he said.

Beyond love and friendship, others opted for some all-time favourites.

“I love it when he buys me jewellery. He buys me really nice necklaces,” said Jackie Dold, a Maltese woman standing beside her German husband.

Joseph Vella, 72, said that he always enjoys being gifted a trip abroad. “I always go to the same place, England, and hopefully, we’ll be going again next year because I love the place,” he said.

Similarly, Joseph Ciantar fondly remembers being surprised by his wife with a trip to Manchester. “I loved the atmosphere there during Christmastime, and the cold,” he said. A smiling Ciantar said the best gift he ever gave was to himself ‒ when he married his wife. She, standing right next to him, smiled as she heard that public declaration of love.

Paula Bulla

Colombian national Paula Bulla recounted fond memories from when she was five years old. “When I was a child, my mother gave me a bicycle; it was very nice because I was just starting to learn [to cycle],” Bulla said. Years later, she returned the favour and gifted her mother a trip to Mexico. She said her mother was very excited to visit another country.

Allef Jinneni from Brazil recounted how he gifted his friend their country’s national football kit. “He loves football, I love football, and we are also like brothers. I think that makes it more special,” he said.