Christmas is likely one of the most beloved and broadly celebrated holidays worldwide. It’s a particular time that brings pleasure and sparkle to our lives with feasting and particular rituals, colourful decorations, and the exchanging of items. Traditions have developed round this vacation celebrating the beginning of Jesus and
they’ve modified as they’ve crossed borders into different international locations and over time.
Dive into Christmas Traditions in Lebanon beneath. Obtain Sonlight’s Christmas Across the World e-book to discover Christmas traditions from 19 totally different international locations world wide, together with 6 of the 7 continents!
Christmas Traditions in Lebanon
Lebanon has a big Christian inhabitants, and Christmas is a vital vacation on this nation. Nonetheless, it has a various non secular inhabitants, so folks rejoice Christmas with a mixture of traditions.
Whereas gift-giving is practiced in lots of Lebanese households, the emphasis on gift-bringers like Santa
Claus varies. In some areas with Christian majorities, kids might count on items from Baba
Noël (Santa Claus), whereas in others, the main focus could also be extra on household gatherings, Midnight Mass, and conventional festive meals.
Christmas is well known on January seventh by Christians in Lebanon with church companies.
Nativity scenes and Christmas markets are standard, and Christmas lights and decorations are used to brighten houses and balconies. Christmas is a time for charitable actions in Lebanon the place
organizations and people have interaction in acts of kindness and giving to assist these in want throughout the
vacation season.
Christmas Recipes in Lebanon
Lebanese households usually collect for a particular Christmas Eve dinner, which can embrace conventional dishes like roast lamb, kibbeh (a sort of meat croquette), stuffed grape leaves, mezze plates of hummus and beet and tahini salad and a wide range of sweets.
Among the many cherished sweets is Ma’amoul, a fragile shortbread-like cookie full of dates, or a mixture of nuts and sugar and formed with ornamental molds. One other favourite is Knafeh, a candy and crunchy pastry made with shredded phyllo dough, full of a gooey layer of cheese or semolina, and soaked in aromatic rose or orange blossom water. Baklava can also be a staple, that includes layers of flaky pastry, nuts, and candy syrup. Atayef is one other cherished addition to the Lebanese Christmas dinner. These small, folded pancakes are full of candy cheese or nuts after which fried or baked.
On account of its relationship with France, some households get pleasure from a bûche de Noël for dessert.
In conventional Lebanese houses, Christmas dinner isn’t full with out a cup of meghleh. It’s a tremendous rice pudding cooked with sugar and a number of other spices (particularly cinnamon) and adorned with layers of coconut powder, almonds, walnuts, and dried raisins.
Strive including certainly one of these candy and fragrant delights to your Christmas celebrations this yr with the recipes beneath!
Obtain a Christmas Playlist
Try Sonlight’s Christmas Across the World Spotify playlist right here to obtain Christmas music from Lebanon and world wide. Some standard Lebanese Christmas songs are Lay-let Eid (to the tune of Jingle Bells), Dawe b Layali Saeeda (to the tune of Gloria, In Excelsis Deo), and Hallelujah.
What’s your favourite custom to rejoice with your loved ones round Christmastime?
From conventional festivities to distinctive customs, we hope these Lebanese traditions add a wealthy variety to your loved ones celebrations throughout this joyous vacation. Obtain the entire Christmas Across the World e-book to infuse your vacation traditions with Christmas customs, recipes, and crafts from 19 international locations world wide.
We would love to listen to extra concerning the traditions you rejoice in your personal house! Share your tales in your favourite social media outlet utilizing #sonlightstories or remark beneath. Have a practice you’d prefer to see added to this submit? Tell us, by emailing us at fundamental@sonlight.com.