President George Vella s Christmas message touches on anguish and hope
In a message to the nation, President George Vella speaks of the anguish caused by the COVID-19 pandemic but also of hope that resilience will see us through next year
24 December 2020, 8:30pm
by Kurt Sansone
In a year conditioned by the coronavirus pandemic, President George Vella has spoken of the anguish, hardship and pain it has caused many people.
In a televised address to the nation on Christmas Eve, Vella offered his condolences and solidarity to those who lost loved ones to COVID-19.
“I urge you to pluck up courage so that we can overcome these difficult moments – together,” Vella said.
“Dear Santa, I wish for a doll’s house… and for corona to stop.”
That was one of the hundreds of hopeful letters posted to Father Christmas across the islands, putting a smile on the faces of Maltapost staff already working flat out to deliver this year’s flood of parcels.
“We’ve received hundreds, much more than usual. We started receiving them as early as October,” marketing officer Mary Grace Farrugia told
Times of Malta, producing two boxes filled with letters.
They’re decorated and colourful. Some are sealed in an envelope but many are not enclosed.
“We make sure not to touch any of those that are sealed but take a peek at the open ones before they continue on their journey to Santa,” Farrugia said.
Kalkara Mayor Wayne Aquilina, in the presence of the First Lady of Malta Mrs Miriam Vella, awarded Ms Claire Micallef Pule, with the City’s highest honour ‘Gieh il-Kalkara’, which was presented on the occasion of Jum il-Kalkara, which was celebrated yesterday, and we think that there is definitely no one who deserves this more than Claire.
Mr Aquilina said that he felt proud in presenting the award to one of Kalkara’s daughters. “A humble, kind-hearted woman who makes us all proud,” he added.
For those who do not know Claire, she is one of Malta’s silent heroes. Claire Micallef Pule, who is originally from Kalkara, has been working within the Office of the President of Malta since 1994, and has served under six different Presidents.
A new €2 coin designed by a Rabat schoolboy and featuring a series of traditional children’s games will reach people’s pockets next week.
Ymen Riahi’s design depicts games such as marbles, kite-flying and a Maltese version of hop-scotch, which is known locally as
passju. The St Nicholas Middle School pupil’s coin also shows three bees flying in a circle, alluding to a popular chant sung by children during play.
His coin is the last of a series of five designed by pupils from the ‘From Children in Solidarity’ programme launched in 2015 by the Central Bank of Malta, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation.