Unfortunately, if you’re not into the Christmas season, then we wish you the best, but it’s going to be hard. It’s especially going to be hard to avoid listening to the seasonal tunes. However, if you are into the Christmas season, then this is really your time! In Malta, once Halloween passes, Christmas begins. The especially festive locals start playing and posting their favourite Maltese Christmas songs. And those that don’t, post memes about the latter.
All in all it is hard to deny the nostalgic aura around these songs. It is no regular nostalgia, it is nostalgia that’s wrapped in a shiny, glossy Christmas paper which you’ve been hearing since you were a child. Everyone knows ‘War is Over’ or ‘Thank God it’s Christmas’. But what is the ‘All I Want For Christmas’ song in Malta? In this list we’re going to look at 5 great Maltese Christmas songs.
‘Christmas Father’ (Ġibli Pupa) by X-Tend
The first song celebrates the idea of Christmas Father through the eyes of naivety. The song is a cheery, highly catchy start to our list. X-Tend were a band that started as a synth-wave band and eventually changed and developed and wrote and recorded this song in the early 90’s.
‘Gej Il-Milied’ by The Malta Bums
Of course, Freddie Portelli managed to find his way into the Christmas staples as well as having had the alternative national anthem of the country. This song by The Malta Bums is a short but fun jingly-jangly tune that was another successful hit by the band.
‘Ġesu Ħelwa Tarbija’ (Traditional)
As I was trying to make a solid list of Maltese Christmas songs, which let’s face, there aren’t many, I was seeing this name everywhere but it wasn’t really ringing a bell. At least, till I heard the first three notes. I think I don’t need to say more about that.
Tini Tini Zmien il-Milied by X-Tend
From the same Christmas album of ‘Sbieħ il-Milied’ by X-Tend we have another local hit, that again carries with it a certain charm, also evoked by the use of choir.
Ninni La Tibkix Izjed by Indri Schembri
Unfortunately I couldn’t find the oldest recording of this song which was supposed to be by a choir called Jesus of Nazareth Choir in 1967. Nevertheless, this is probably the most famous Christmas song in Malta and apart from doing very well in the nostalgia department, it is also the oldest of these songs.
Written around the mid 1800’s by a Jesuit called Indri Schembri, the song was featured in a book of hymns which he wrote for these Maltese emigrants in Algiers. To this day it remains a Christmas staple in the Maltese songbook.
All five of these are surely popular for a reason. We can’t pick our favorite. Can you?
