This coming Sunday, the small community of San Lawrenz in Gozo, will once again transform into a living Bible to narrate the greatest and most beautiful story ever told.

Ghaqda Drammatika San Lawrenz is organising its 48th edition of the Christmas Pageant, starting at 6,30pm in the newly renovated main square and along the streets of San Lawrenz, to enthral, both locals and tourists alike.

Exiting from the village’s Parish Church, this unique pageant will take place on the church parvis and main streets of San Lawrenz, including the use of some of the village’s households. Most of the population of this village takes part in this pageant in one way or another.

This pageant has a long tradition. A couple of years after the Second World War, the parish priest Dun George Debrincat succeeded in producing a musical nativity play. The participants were all males except for a few girls under twelve years who had a minor role.

There were many hurdles to be surmounted. Costumes had to be sewn, scenes had to be painted etc, and all taking place during a very difficult time.

Their efforts were rewarded because the event was well attended. In the journal Ghawdex we read that the play It-Twelid ta’ Gesu Bambin was a great success and about 3000 people attended.

However the first real pageant was performed in 1969. George Borg discovered that the costumes of those early productions had survived.

With just twelve days to go before Christmas Eve, he announced that they were to be put into use again, for the first Christmas pageant, when forty characters took part.

As time went by more and more people participated and nowadays over a hundred and fifty take part in this very popular, annual and unique pageant.

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