Maltese Christmas traditions will be kept alive through a permanent display launched at the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa yesterday.

The traditions have been immortalised in miniature figurines and minute detail, capturing the creators of crib statuettes in their workshops, a family at the Christmas dinner table, processions, the congregation in a church draped in red damask, the homily of the child, and a whole spectrum of cribs.

The greater part of the Maltese Christmas collection has been made available by talented artisan Austin Galea, who presented the items to the museum.

Mr Galea is a well-established personality among local crib enthus-iasts, a founding member of the Għaqda Ħbieb tal-Presepju (Malta) and a keen enthusiast of Maltese Christmas traditions.

The exhibition includes seven detailed dioramas, a 3D model that Mr Galea produced to represent Christmas traditions, and an audiovisual presentation documenting the artisan himself as he went through the traditional process of building a crib.

The permanent exhibition will be the last major addition to the museum for 2011.

During the year, the Inquisitor’s Palace, which hosts the National Museum of Ethnography, witnessed various restoration interventions as well as the enhancement of its permanent displays and visitor experience to improve accessibility and understanding of the site. It is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.