Birzebbugia is mostly known as one of Malta’s most charming fishing villages, but every year around Christmas time, it changes into a festive haven. This year marks no exception, and the village will this weekend be hosting another edition of Milied fil-Pjazza (Christmas in the village square) with a record-breaking line-up of events planned.  

Aimed primarily at families, the festival will feature all the typical festive activities like an animated crib, exhibitions of religious statues, stalls filled with Christmas treats as well as a Santa’s workshop, amongst a long list of other activities. However, one event to be showcased during Milied fil-Pjazza goes above and beyond anyone's wildest imagination. 

This year the Birzebbugia parish will be exhibiting a huge sleigh, and when I say huge, I truly do mean MASSIVE. Clocking in at a length of 3.08m, a height of 4.5m and a width of 1.85m, the sleigh will be one of the largest, if not the largest, Malta has ever seen. And it gets better: once the record for biggest sleigh is confirmed, visitors will be allowed to hop aboard the sleigh. Definitely not something you get to do everyday!

A lot of volunteers have lent a hand in the organisation of this festival, and especially so with the construction of the sleigh's wooden structure. Their latest venture comes as a highly innovative move following more traditional editions in the past. "We hope people will enjoy what we have planned for them," one volunteer says, adding that they have a couple of surprises up their sleeve for visitors to enjoy.

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Milied fil-Pjazza will kick off this evening at 5pm and will extend to tomorrow, between the hours of 9am and 8pm. All activities will be held in the Birzebbugia Parish Square.