Giant and unusual trees shine a Christmas light from the sister island, says Esther Lafferty.

As winter sets in and advent wreaths go up on our doors, the landscape is painted with fresh lush grass and crops – and there are other green things to look out for on Gozo that both celebrate Christmas and a sustainable approach to life.

For over a decade before the pandemic, at Christmas time people from across Malta and beyond flocked to Gozo to enjoy the living nativity in the Bethlehem f’Għajnsielem village. The global COVID-19 crisis means that this is on hold once again so instead in the village square – from which you could previously have headed down the hill to travel 2,000 years back in time – there is an alternative attraction towering nearly 20 metres tall inspiring praise, wonder and delight.

A team of dedicated volunteers from the village have built this giant illuminated Christmas tree from nearly 5,000 glass bottles. This is the second time the square is decorated this way: the structure was first created last year and dedicated to all the people going through difficult times during the pandemic. This year, in the wake of the COP26 summit when the world’s thoughts are on eco-friendly living and coming together to tackle climate change, this tree which promotes the importance of recycling and reuse, is an impressive twenty-first century approach to marking the season.

The tree has an eight-metre diameter at its widest point. It has been constructed from over 5,000 pieces of iron weighing 3.3 tons that laid end to end would have stretched a kilometre down to the Mġarr ferry terminal and back! These were welded and screwed together into 330 sections to create the structure on which the bottles have been placed ready to be lit up by 7,000 LED lights. Illuminated against a dark sky the effect is stylish and elegant, a pyramid of sparkle that adds a magical atmosphere to match any candle-lit fir.

There’s a second unusual Christmas Tree on the other side of Victoria that’s both festive and fun. In the small village of Kerċem, a community group called the Gozo Crafty Ladies – Kerċem branch have come together to crochet an eight-metre tall Tree of Life which stands proud outside their council offices. In a myriad of green shades, with a touch of neon too, it has been created from hundreds of overlapping small squares, although the actual count is being kept a secret to be revealed at a later date. Visitors to the installation will be able to submit their estimates into a competition. We may not know the number but there is no doubt that the team have surely used a mileage of wool that would run the length of Malta!

A pyramid of sparkle that adds a magical atmosphere to match any candle-lit fir

“We made the tree for the enjoyment of all who visit. It sends a message of light and joy and shows what can be achieved when communities work together even in these difficult times when we have not been able to meet physically for most of the year,” explained Susan Warner, one of the ladies involved in the tree’s creation.

“Approximately 16 people worked on the project, either making the individual squares or sewing them together. The work was done over the whole year with the completed squares collected to be sewn together during September and October. The frame is made of metal and the squares themselves are sewn to wire to keep the integrity of the shape even in inclement weather. The frame and lights for The Tree of Life have been supplied by the Kerċem Local Council who also organised its erection while The Cultural Unit at the Ministry for Gozo have financed the yarn.”

The tree will brighten the village square until January 7, after which it will be taken down and the squares will be reworked into useful items and donated. “Last year our ‘tree’, the first one we had made like this, became lap blankets, bed blankets and where sections were not suitable for the first two uses, we even made even horse blankets,” continued Warner. “Nothing was wasted!”

And if you’re making the trip to Gozo, there’s a third eco-installation which is well-worth a visit although it hasn’t been created for Christmas. From his birth in a stable, Jesus’ life led him to the cross, and you can see a giant construction of Christ in a crown of thorns outside the Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary. The image is made entirely using plastic waste, a striking feature in the view across to the sea and the Ġordan lighthouse, and it’s only as you walk close that you see the constituent parts, individual circles of colour and texture from 4000 bottles in clear, blue and green plastic collected by local litter-pickers. Built to highlight the challenges of single use plastic and waste disposal on Gozo, this up-cycled bas-relief sculpture once again turn the viewer’s thoughts to environmental issues, and reminds us that the health of the planet is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves this Christmas.

The Gozo Crafty Ladies Kerċem Branch meet on a Friday at the Kerċem council offices from 4-6pm and is open to everyone. To see and get involved in their other projects them follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/264218021132758

To see more on the Għajnsielem tree visit www.facebook.com/ghajnsielem.lc and for information on the installation at Ta’ Pinu visit www.cast-out.com.