by Elie from Beirut asks Santa about his favorite foods, learns about the cedars of Mount Lebanon, and hears about Lebanon’s Christmas kibbeh tradition
Dear Santa, my name is Elie and I am nine years old. I live in Beirut, Lebanon, where my teta says our table on Christmas Day has so many dishes on it that nobody can agree on which one to try first.
Dear Elie, I have faced that exact dilemma at your teta’s table myself, and I never do manage to choose quickly.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, what are your favorite Christmas foods? My teta wants to know so she can add something new to the table this year.
Please tell your teta I have a particular fondness for warm, spiced dishes and good bread, Elie, though I confess I rarely turn down anything homemade and shared generously. It is less about the specific dish and more about the care that goes into it.
My second question is about our mountains. My teacher says the cedar trees on our mountains are incredibly old and important to our history. Is that true?
It is, Elie. The cedars of Lebanon, growing on Mount Lebanon, have been treasured for thousands of years, even mentioned in some of the oldest historical texts in the world. Flying over those ancient, towering trees each Christmas Eve always feels like passing something genuinely timeless.
My third question is about kibbeh. My family makes it differently than my friend’s family, and we always argue a little about whose version is better. Why does one dish have so many different versions?
Kibbeh is a beloved dish across Lebanon, Elie, and different families, regions, and communities have developed their own cherished variations over generations, each one considered the correct one by whoever made it. I think that kind of friendly disagreement over a shared, beloved dish is actually a lovely sign of how deeply food connects people to their families and history.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Elie Khoury
Beirut, Lebanon
P.S. Please do not pick a side in the kibbeh argument.
Wisely requested, Elie. I remain strictly, diplomatically neutral on that matter.
