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EveryParampara

Traditions of Beirut

A Mediterranean capital of many faiths, with mezze tables, Christian feasts and Ramadan evenings side by side.

Beirut is a port city with Sunni, Shia, Maronite, Orthodox, Druze and other communities, each keeping its own calendar of feasts. The cooking of Lebanon is among the most admired in the Middle East, and a mezze meal on a long afternoon is a common way to meet. Music, poetry and storytelling are lively traditions.

Beirut: Vista de la ciudad de Beirut, Líbano.
Photo: Yoniw, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Many calendars

Christians celebrate Easter, Saint Barbara's Day, with children in costume eating a wheat dish, burbara, and Christmas. Muslims mark Ramadan and Eid, and Shia mark Ashura with processions. The Armenian community keeps its own feasts. The cannon fired at sunset in Ramadan and the lanterns of the festival fill the streets.

At the table

Mezze might include hummus, tabbouleh, fattoush, kibbeh nayyeh, labneh, and grilled meats. Man'oushe, flatbread baked with za'atar, is the common breakfast. Arabic coffee scented with cardamom or orange blossom water ends the meal. Sweets include knefeh in a sesame bun at breakfast.

Signature traditions of Beirut

Also part of it, and being written: Mezze (The Levantine spread.), Manakish (The za'atar flatbread.), Tabbouleh (The parsley salad.), Saint Barbara (The Lebanese Christian feast of Saint Barbara.), Knafeh (The sweet cheese pastry.).

A trail idea for Beirut

  1. Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael Walk the old streets of cafes.
  2. Raouche Rocks See the sea stacks at sunset.
  3. Souk el Tayeb A farmers' market with local cooks.
About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

KindSpiritualFestivalRite of passageTable customSeasonalDressPerformanceEtiquetteCraftGameFolkloreHomeCeremony
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperTea-time and snacking customsTea, coffee and drinking ceremoniesSweets given and sharedFeasts and festival mealsFasting and breaking the fast
🇱🇧 Beirut, Lebanon and 7 moreEid il-Burbaraعيد البربارة A winter feast of costumes, sweet boiled wheat, and sprouting seeds across the LevantFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇱🇧 Beirut, LebanonLebanese Independence Dayعيد الاستقلال اللبناني Lebanon's national day, marking the end of French mandate rule in 1943Ceremony 🇱🇧 Beirut, LebanonBeirut Prideفخر بيروت An annual LGBTQIA+ march and festival in Lebanon advocating for decriminalization and visibility.Festival 🇱🇧 Beirut, LebanonBeirut International Women Film Festival An annual cinema festival in Beirut celebrating films made by and about womenPerformance 🇱🇧 Byblos, LebanonByblos International Festival An annual summer music and arts festival held in the historic port town of Byblos, Lebanon.Festival

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly EveryParampara

Every week: one tradition from somewhere new, what is being celebrated around the world this week, and one idea explained.