The award ceremony for the winners of the National Crib Competition by Festivals Malta was held at the Archaeology Museum in Valletta yesterday. Festivals Malta, which falls within the Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government, held this competition during the Christmas period.

A total of 16 cash prizes were given, which varied according to the section that participants took part in.

Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici thanked all the participants for taking part in the competition and for presenting a unique experience to the public.

“This competition is seen as an important activity in Festivals Malta’s calendar, since it aims to keep the tradition of crib-making alive. It is also an ideal way to nurture interest in crib enthusiasts to keep on working within this sector as well as to encourage new participants to take part in such initiatives that promote our local traditions and culture.

“Our strategy within the culture sector is to ensure that our communities have the opportunity to showcase and work on their artistic and creative talents in a manner that they are encouraged to develop them, while making culture and the arts more accessible through such prospects,” said Dr Bonnici.

Director of Festivals Malta Annabelle Stivala said that “the crib making tradition goes back 400 years, and so has become deeply rooted in our local culture. In spite of this, after World War II, foreign influences started to permeate the local Christmas traditions. The main aim of this competition is to celebrate the Maltese artistic talent”.

This year’s edition of the national crib competition saw 51 participating cribs. The competition had six categories: mechanical crib, large crib, medium-sized crib, small crib, crib created with original material, crib presented in an original manner.

 The cribs were judged on a number of aspects including creativity; cave/nativity; layout; proportion; artistry and detail; the spreading out and consistency in the style of the figurines; atmosphere; light and music; general appearance.

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