7 Stories Your Lebanese Grandpa Swears Are True

Lebanese grandpa’s and tall tales go hand by hand. Although they are a source of immense wisdom and knowledge, there are some shared stories that every single Lebanese grandpa seems to share and swear that they really happened.

1. The Time He Met Fairouz

They make it seem like she was holding more meet and greets than a young popstar. If every Lebanese grandpa has met her, how did she have time to actually perform?

2. Saving The Village

If your grandpa is Lebanese, he will surely claim that he is an unsung hero of his village, either protecting it from French soldiers or a drought that he solved by finding the local 3ein, he will never let go of his technically not true claim to fame.

3. Enchanting Your Grandma

“Kel banet el day3a ken baddon yene, settek awal ma shefetne ngharamit feye 3atool,” your grandfather, probably. Cue your grandmother’s eyeroll.

4. Lost Relatives

In every Lebanese family, there is always a relative that’s been lost abroad, and that your grandfather wants you to look up on the internet to try and find them. Sadly, Googling your grandfather’s uncle’s name shows no results. Try explaining that to him, though.

5. Ye Olde Days Of Riches

No matter what socioeconomic level your family belongs to, your grandfather will tell you about “ayyem el 3ezz, wa2ta kenna nel3ab bel masare le3eb.” Where this fortune comes from or how it was lost changes between a tale and another, but the lost treasure is a pillar of the grandfather tall tale.

6. Being In A Newspaper

No matter how mediocre his life has been, there’s always a newspaper clipping that has mysteriously been lost that had his picture and a small article about some achievement he’s done.

7. Being Kidnapped

Being kidnapped, or almost kidnapped in some cases, seems to be a recurring theme in Lebanese grandfather’s stories. It could be in any setting, be it the civil war or abroad, but they barely just made it out. Be it true or not, it’s a good thing they did, because without them there would be no you!

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