7 Stories Your Lebanese Grandpa Swears Are True

Lebanese grandpas and tall tales go hand in 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, but we highly doubt it.

1. The Time He Met Fairouz

They make it seem like she was holding more meet and greets than a current 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,” says your grandfather, probably. Cue your grandmother’s eyeroll.

4. Long 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 one tale and another, but the lost treasure is a pillar of the Lebanese grandfather’s tallest of tales.

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 grand achievement he once made, probably during ayyem el 3ezz.

7. Being Kidnapped

Being kidnapped, or almost kidnapped in some cases, seems to be a recurring theme in all Lebanese grandfathers’ stories. It could be in any setting, be it the civil war or abroad, but they all 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!