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San Lawrenz Pageant Group
This group was founded in 1969 on the initiative of Mr Gorg Borg. Before, plays and sketches were presented, but there was no group responsible for their smooth staging and running. Most plays were under the direction of Dun Joseph Piscopo. Along the years, this association has assumed the responsibility for the annual presentation of the Christmas ageant. It is also responsible for Carnival and other plays which are presented during the year. Besides, this group also organizes the Festival which is held each year in the week preceeding the parish feast. This festival was first organized in 1983.
Each year on Christmas Eve, the village of San Lawrenz organizes a spectacular pageant, in which for two hours the bible comes to life. Nearly half the population of this small rural community takes part in this Christmas pageant. It presents scenes and biblical costumes from the times of the Prohets to the arrival of the wise Kings. Saints, Kings, soldiers and despots of the Old and New Testaments alk through the main streets accompanied by two little orchestras playing traditional instruments. The pageant ends with the main characters forming a live crib while a small boy delivers the Christmas sermon.
This pageant has a long tradition. A couple of years immediately after the Second World War, the parish priest Dun George Debrincat succeeded into putting up a musical nativity play. The participants were all males escept 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, and so on, and all in a very difficult time. The efforts were rewarded because the event wwas 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 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 pageant. In this first pageant forty characters took part. As time went by more and more people participated and nowadays over hundred and fifty take part in this pageant.
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