Procession of baby Jesus returns after two years

The procession of baby Jesus will be returning this year after a two-year hiatus caused by Covid-19. The tradition is celebrated on Christmas Eve, and has its roots in the MUSEUM society.

Newsbook.com.mt spoke with Żabbar’s MUSEUM superior Brian Psaila, who spoke about the procession and the meaning of Christmas.

Psaila said that the tradition of the procession all started when around a century ago St Ġorġ Preca expressed his wish to hold the procession. Members of the society managed to get hold of a statue of baby Jesus and walked through the roads of Ħamrun with it in their hands.

Since then the MUSEUM society hasn’t looked back, as the tradition continued to spread across all towns and villages in Malta and Gozo.

Asked about the society’s ties to Christmas, he started by mentioning the distinctive badge worn by members of the society that reminds us of Christ’s birth: “Verbum Dei Caro Factum Est” – God’s son has become man.

Explaining the tradition, he said that during the procession, children dress up as Biblical persons, such as angels and shepherds, while people sing Christmas carols, and walk behind the banner, or ‘skudett’, with the words Verbum Dei Caro Factum Est on it.

In the words of the superior, during the procession “we spread the true meaning of Christmas, that God has become man.”

Each town and village has its own way to celebrate Christmas, Psaila noted. After the procession, children are normally given a small crib or a depiction of Jesus that is made by members of the society themselves.

During the last two years, the procession couldn’t be held due to the pandemic, however, there were some branches of the society who, with the permission of the authorities, managed to hold a similar activity in the grounds of the MUSEUM centre. This year there is a lot of anticipation for the event, Psaila said.

In his final message, Psaila insisted that this Christmas we should keep baby Jesus at the centre of our celebrations, since after all Christmas is the feast celebrating His birth.”

Source: Newsbook.com.mt