Carols, roasted chestnuts and mulled wine at the Phoenicia Hotel

Hotel Phoenicia's front steps, at the gates to Valletta on The Mall Floriana, will be engulfed in Christmas cheer on Thursday December 12th, with carol singers, live music, roasting chestnuts, mulled wine and more.

The majority of the capital's shops will be open and the superb range of restaurants and bars, especially Pegasus which is open for lunch, Palm Court which is serving a special Christmas Afternoon Tea, and Phoenicia's relaxing Club Bar are putting on lots of special Festive treats to entice people to partake in the yuletide spirit.

Phoenicia's Christmas carol singers, an icon of the festive season, gives young and the not-so-young an excuse to start celebrating Christmas early. This true family favourite returns to Phoenicia which is renowned for its unique location and bustling atmosphere inspired by Christmas traditions and attracts hundreds of visitors each year to this long-awaited Christmas event.

Once again the choir from the School of Performing Arts conducted by Veronica de Gabriele and coached by Maltese soprano star Gillian Zammit will be keeping everyone warmed and merry with their beautiful singing voices. The School's Artistic Director Lorraine Aquilina says that rehearsals have been going on since October and some of the most popular carols that will be sung by the talented boys and girls aged from 9 to 13 years include 'Silent Night' and 'The Drummer Boy', amongst others. Gillian Zammit has also been the director of the Joseph Calleja HSBC Children's Choir for the past 3 years, which means passers-by are in for a special treat.

Get ready for a day of non-stop merriment and tomfoolery and ditch the overcrowded high streets in favour of a little time travel to Hotel Phoenicia, the grand dame of Malta's hospitality industry. Phoenicia's carol singers kick-start the capital city's Christmas celebrations. It's probably the nicest Christmas winter-warmer and helps the city come alive with youthful carol singers and the delicious smells of roasted chestnuts and hot spicy mulled wine.

For even more festive spirit on December 14th and 15th Phoenicia's Grand Ballroom showcases a mixture of arts and crafts, gifts and locally-produced food and drink. The Malta Artisan Fair, often described as Malta's authentic local market, enjoys a tremendous reputation for offering the opportunity to buy locally produced, high quality, affordable products direct from carefully selected artists, craftspeople and food producers.

You are invited to 'make a day of it' and meet up with family and friends at these family-friendly events where children will also be able to participate with artists in creative activities. Tickle your taste-buds at Pegasus, where liveried chefs serve healthy Mediterranean flavours, or amble through the sprawling gardens admiring the gracious trees and try to spot tropical plants from far away.

Historic yet contemporary, traditional yet cutting-edge, metropolitan yet somewhat wild with 7.5 acres of magnificent gardens including over 5,000 square metres of Kitchen Gardens, Phoenicia is truly a unique destination and a real powerhouse in Maltese tourism. With UNESCO World Heritage City Valletta on its doorstep Phoenicia really is the ultimate mix of old and new as well as being home to some of the most beautiful paintings by Caruana Dingli which are on permanent display, and may be viewed during the festive season activities.

Get into the Christmas spirit by soaking up the sparkling atmosphere. For more information, visit www.phoeniciamalta.com and on facebook.com/PhoeniciaHotel