In light of the current economical crisis, it looks like Christmas is canceled in Lebanon this year. A time where joy and happiness are spread isn’t attainable for the Lebanese people. The celebrations are close, yet the calamity-stricken country won’t be celebrating. Parents can’t afford Christmas trees or gifts, and Santa Clause is not coming. The difficult living conditions of Lebanon have had a massive impact on people’s lives. A few heart-wrenching stories of the Lebanese struggle have gone viral, and these are some of them.
A man called Marwan went to a store in Beirut, hoping to buy a Christmas tree. A Christmas tree costs around LPB 700,000, which devastated him, forcing him to leave empty-handed. For Marwan, buying the tree meant the dining table would be bare on Christmas eve.
Marwan said, “Unfortunately, this is the first time I’ve felt powerless and unable of purchasing what my son has asked for.”
Moreover, parents can’t buy gifts for their kids or Christmas decorations. While the Christmas tree can be overlooked, a Christmas morning with no gifts would be spirit-crushing. Yet, parents just tell their children that Santa Clause is sick and won’t be coming this year.
A gifts shop owner shares something he witnessed, “It is such a heartbreaking situation. Earlier this morning, a mother had to pull her crying son forcibly out of my store once she saw the prices of decorations and gifts. It was painful to see how she told him off for wanting to buy a gift he liked, but obviously, she didn’t have the money.”
A ray of hope
On a positive note, on the outskirts of Beirut, there was an organized event that’s all about spreading smiles. A thousand and six hundred Maronite Catholic children went to the Christmas Village and got a chance to celebrate Christmas. Donations were sent from many Catholics abroad, including Our Lady of Victory Maronite Catholic Church in Pittsburgh. Moreover, 5,000 children from Sydney donated from their own savings.
Father Tony Sarkis of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in Sydney said about the generous kids, “They are deeply concerned for the children in Lebanon. They want them to live in dignity.”
The event included a festival where the children enjoyed lights, decorations, music, an entertainment show and food. They even got to choose a new outfit to take home, and a snack.
Maronite Archbishop Antoine Bou Najem of Antelias said, “Today I am very happy for them. We are trying our best to give this Advent a deep significance so they can celebrate Christmas with peace, hope and joy, because Jesus is with us.”