“We cannot let this sense of unity disappear during the electoral campaign.”

President George Abela urging politicians to ride on the spirit of L-Istrina, when the election campaign kicks off.

“Politics is not just about Christmas greetings... We have to earn respect not buy it.”

MEP Louis Grech’s first message after he was approved as Labour’s deputy leader for parliamentary affairs, replacing Anġlu Farrugia who was forced to resign.

“My father has nothing to hide.”

Ismael Zmirli vouching for his father Abdulrazagh, a Maltese manager of the air services company Medavia, who has been detained in Libya following claims they helped the Gaddafi regime.

“Empathy does not translate into pity, but into understanding...”

Consultant Alexander Gatt sharing the way he felt when it came to breaking bad news to cancer sufferers during Christmas time.

“We’re running a business here, not a charity.”

Accessorize director Theresa Bartolo Parnis expressing incredulity at certain retailers’ decision to start the sales before January.

“We didn’t recognise her when she walked in for lunch.”

Café Jubilee director Alex Scicluna describing his initial reaction when Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett walked into his coffee shop in Gozo.

“I think he would say, ‘You are destroying imagination’.”

Charles Calleja, who corresponded with J.R.R Tolkien in 1966 as a student, when asked what he thought Tolkien would say if he had to see his Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit on screen.