Christmas greetings were and still carry a very special message, especially to people who might feel lonely, depressed or unwanted during these festive times.

I have selected some old cards from my collection, which were sent between 1908 and 1927.

The messages on these cards, especially of the ones dated between 1914 to 1918, surely brought warmth to the receiver/s even though they were sent during World War I.

The messages ultimately showed the desire of the sender to reunite with family and friends.

Some of these cards are actually postcards depicting Maltese locations while others are of a religious nature.

One of the cards, dated December 24, 1927, was sent to a Carmelite friar, Fr Giacchino Mallia, and shows a barely-recognisable Tower Road, Sliema.

A different style of card is the religious one sent to Valentin Borg of Balzan in 1901. This is a pop-up card that, when opened, takes the shape of a crib. These cards were very common in the late 1920s but nowadays they are a collector’s item. It is also my favourite.

I hope that by looking at these cards, one feels the need to remove all barriers that lead to divisions and reunite with loved ones – if not physically, in spirit − this Christmas.