Students and staff of St Ignatius College Boys Secondary School, Tal- Ħandaq, Qormi, have created and set up a nativity scene with a difference at Auberge de Castille.

This year’s crib is intended to be a walk-through experience. The auberge is decked out in lanterns so as to communicate an atmosphere of tranquility.

As one proceeds through the building, one comes across characters typical to the nativity story, such as shepherds with their sheep, the three kings following the bright star, angels and, eventually, the Holy Family.

These characters were built from iron rods and aluminium sheets supplied to the school by the government printing press. The sheep were made from wooden frameworks which were then covered with recycled paper to resemble real sheep.

Parts of the statues were made from plaster casts of the students faces, hands and feet.

In another part of the auberge is an audio-visual tour in a dark room offering students’ thoughts and ideas about Christmas.

In order to set up this room, students from Form 1 to Form 5 were invited to attend workshops during which they shared beliefs, experiences, funny moments, as well as serious thoughts and events which they associate with this festive period.

The crib is open from Monday to Friday from 5 p.m. till 8 p.m., and on Sunday from 9 a.m. till 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. till 8 p.m. On Saturday, the crib will be open from 10 a.m. till noon.