Mary Lourdes Bonnici MBA

  World Mental Health Day 2026: Mental Health Matters — Understanding, Compassion and the Courage to Seek Support Beyond the Silence: Building Awareness, Challenging Stigma and Creating a Culture of Care By Mary Lourdes Bonnici MBA Published for World Mental Health Day — 10 October 2026 Introduction: Every Mind Matters Every year, on the tenth of October, people around the world observe World Mental Health Day. It is an opportunity to increase awareness, improve understanding, challenge stigma and remind ourselves that mental health is an essential part of human wellbeing. Behind every smile may be an untold struggle. Behind every quiet moment may be an individual carrying emotional pressures that others cannot see. Mental health challenges do not always have visible signs. A person may continue with everyday responsibilities, participate in social activities and appear confident while privately experiencing anxiety, emotional exhaustion, sadness or psychological distress. ...

  Christmas Crackers — The Victorian Tradition at the Festive Table From French bonbons to the joyful snap: history, symbolism, etiquette, and the future of a Christmas ritual By Mary Lourdes Bonnici MBA | Learning • Knowledge • Growth | 21 October 2026 Introduction Picture a Christmas table just before the meal begins. Beside each plate lies a brightly wrapped paper tube, tapered at both ends, perhaps tied with ribbons or decorated in red, green, gold or silver. Two diners reach across the table, each taking one end. There is a brief pause, a shared pull, a sharp pop, and usually laughter. A folded paper crown emerges, along with a puzzling joke and a little surprise. The object is small, but the ceremony is unmistakable. It turns guests from observers into participants and marks the meal as something different from an ordinary dinner. A Christmas cracker is a decorated paper novelty designed to be pulled apart by two people. Traditionally it contains a snapping strip, a paper...