Five Reasons the Holidays Bring Out Our Love-Hate Relationship with Beirut

If there’s a time that really gets the fire burning in your love/hate relationship with Beirut, it’s the hectic holiday season. Not to worry, things should get back to normal by January 1 (throbbing hangover and all).

1. The return of friends

(Photo via Naharnet)

It’s Lebanon’s reverse exodus, if only for a couple of weeks. ‘Tis the time for friends who study or work abroad to come back home for the holidays. They only have a few weeks to boogie down and drink like there’s no tomorrow, and they’re taking you along for the ride, whether you want to or not.

2. New Year’s Eve madness

(Photo via NOW Media)

The joy of Lebanon on steroids. The holiday season is a time for family, but it’s also a time to plan a rad New Year’s Eve party, the raddest of them yet. And preparations in Lebanon tend to take on dramatic proportions, namely being faced with a myriad of over-the-top suggestions that will either make you want to curl up and spend the night in bed with a pillow over your head, or have such a fun night you can’t even remember what happened.

3. Overcrowded malls

(Photo via Instagram)

Admit it, you’re procrastinating over buying your Christmas gifts. Sure, you’ve taken notice of the articles and lists about the best places where to do your dreaded shopping, but chances are you’ll keep postponing it until the very last minute. And late and messy Christmas shopping can only mean one thing: malls (of which we’ve got an interesting selection in the city). Say hello to crowded parking lots and long lines at the gift-wrapping stations, and hate yourself for ever thinking you had more time.

4. Holiday traffic

(Photo via This is Beirut)

This is just like regular Beirut traffic, except much, much worse. Possible storms and weather disturbances will add a third “much” to that first sentence, and that includes no-shows (I’m looking at you, Alexa). On the bright side, it’ll give you a chance to catch up on your swearing as you sit behind the wheel and take in the cacophony of honks, and maybe use the extra time to work out your gift budget.

5. Christmas lights

(Photo via Beirut Nightlife)

The holiday season in Beirut is also a time to revel in the amazing show of lights, sometimes hanging from the most unlikely of places. They make a lovely addition to the city’s altogether visual pollution, and its jungle of epileptic-fits-inducing LED screens popping out on every corner.

Ahhh, there’s so much to love-hate-love-hate-love.

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