by Jessy Chahine- DailyStar.com.lb
Listen carefully. Bells are ringing. There must be a hundred of them or even a thousand! Are all the churches of the world communicating tonight? It’s Jan. 5, the night before the Christian holiday of Epiphany, the day when Jesus is said to have been baptized. In the little town of Mar Takla in Beirut’s suburbs peaceful religious chants are heard from a distance, emanating from the central plaza’s church.
Lebanese Christian tradition calls this night Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Destiny. As midnight drew closer, 5-year-old Miriam Khoury clenched her mother’s side tighter. Anxiously scrutinizing her elders, the little one seemed bemused. Her tiny, wide-open eyes were constantly searching the place as if looking for a sign. “Is he here yet mama? Is he?” she whispers to her mother. “If you don’t stay calm and pray like a nice little girl, he won’t come at all!” the mother answers. Miriam’s impatience is one shared by millions of others, both adults and children. For it is local belief that in this night, the night of Epiphany, Jesus passes by at midnight through all houses and buildings to bestow his blessings upon believers. “It is also strongly believed that living creatures of all kind bend in awe at his passage men, trees, flowers,” explains R.F. Toubia, the head priest of the Mar Takla church. “Even the nonliving, they say, are in a state of worship tonight. Some have reported seeing rocks rolling and mountains moving,” he continues. “Of course, these might sound like mad fantasies to some,” the priest says, “but they certainly reflect one thing: A sincere belief in the powers of this night.”
In Christian traditions across the world, Jan. 6 is known as Epiphany. According to the Christian Resource Institute a biblical and theological resource this holiday “goes by other names in various church traditions. For instance, in Hispanic and Latin culture, as well as some places in Europe, it is known as ‘Three Kings’ Day,’” referring to the three wise men or Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus. The site adds that, with the exception of the Russian Orthodox Church which celebrates Epiphany as the Theophany on Jan. 19 both Eastern Orthodox and Western Church calendars agree on Jan. 6 as the day of Epiphany. In Lebanon, Laylat al-Qadr has always been celebrated on the eve of Epiphany. “Christ’s passage symbolizes an invitation to start a brand new life,” says Toubia. “And the day that follows, the Epiphany, is when all our sins will be washed away, hence remembering the Christ’s baptism.” This night also always coincides with the Armenian Orthodox Church’s Christmas Eve. In Lebanon, the holiday is celebrated “in unison” by the three different Christian communities: Maronites, Catholics and the Orthodox.
However, although the dates coincide, for these communities the ways of celebration are different. While the Maronites and Catholics celebrate a midnight Mass, the Orthodox generally spend part of the night in church, reading the bible and praying, awaiting for an early morning Mass. Yet for all Christians, this night has its own magic. “Ever since I was little the Epiphany night held a special place in our familial and social traditions,” 65-year-old Lucie Bitar says, while sticking a piece of fresh dough full of pennies onto her wall. “This is the 50th time that I’ve done this,” she says, pointing to the dough. “I’ve taught my children’s children how to do it, too!” The dough, Bitar explains, is part of Laylat al-Qadr. “It’s plain raw dough that you fill in with some pennies and stick it to the wall above your house’s entrance,” she says. “During Jesus’s passage, the dough and the pennies will be blessed, and in the next morning, we pull off the dough, take out the pennies from it, and distribute them to each other.” According to her, the pennies are said to preserve their holder from poverty. Local traditions also play a large role in the celebration of this night. “Once we go back from church, we keep the doors in our building open all night long,” said Zeina Khoury, 22. “Our balcony’s lights are also on the whole time: It’s our symbol of hospitality to the holy visitor.” Meanwhile, inside the house on the following morning those searching for a new beginning this year take a shower in commemoration of the holy baptism. On the table, Lebanese cuisine adds a special touch to this celebration with three main sweet dishes: Maakroun (a sweet made of fried noodle-like dough, with peanuts added on top of it), Zlabia (fried dough served with icing powder) and Ouwaymat (fried dough served with sugar syrup)
European cuisine is also part of the festivities, as La Galette des Rois (The Kings’ Cake) is baked and served with a plastic crown on the top of it. During the baking process, a heat-resistant bauble is slipped into the cake. The one who’s lucky enough find it will wear the crown and hence be “king” for the rest of the year. But not all those who eat the food and celebrate the holiday necessarily believe. “I don’t know whether it’s true or not that Christ comes in at midnight,” 19-year-old Nathalie says, coming out of the church after the midnight Mass. “But one thing is for sure: We, the Oriental people, have a tendency to magnify everything, and to make it a bit more ‘magical and fantastic,’ just like our handwriting, and our poetry.” In the small Mar Takla church, the Mass ended at midnight sharp when the bells started ringing more than ever and little Miriam’s eyes got even bigger than before. And on the way out, people shook hands, saying the traditional greeting that comes with this night: “Al-Dayem dayem” or “the everlasting never forgets to visit.”
