As Christmas draws nearer and nearer, we couldn’t be happier to see festive decorations crop up all over the island.

From the capital’s Christmas lights to a never-ending list of Nativity scenes, few nations put as much heart and soul into their festive décor as Malta – although one particular decoration seems to have left an especially strong impact on its viewers…

In one of its latest articles dedicated to the ‘most beautiful Christmas trees in Europe’, international travel website europeanbestdestinations.com name-dropped Ghajnsielem’s iconic ecological Christmas tree.

Last December, Ghajnsielem residents came together to build a 19-metre Christmas out of 4,500 glass bottles to pay tribute to the heroes and victims of COVID-19.

The ‘tree’ weighed more than three tonnes and used up over two kilometres of metal, and it’s safe to say that the final product was nothing short of magical.

“4,500 recycled bottles were needed to decorate this unique Christmas tree. Gozo’s winter sunlight pierced this tree during the day and lit it up at night, offering an even more spectacular show,” the travel website wrote.

“We congratulate the Town Hall and the inhabitants of Ghajnsielem for this brilliant eco-friendly idea that also carried a message of hope and light, in pure Christmas tradition,” it continued.

Other trees mentioned in the article include ‘Europe’s tallest Christmas tree’ in Lisbon, Strasbourg’s traditional tree, and Vilnius’ modern take on the traditional trinket.

Well done, Ghajnsielem!