Beirut: Christians in Lebanon will celebrate Christmas this year amid some of the toughest economic conditions in the country’s history, Maronite Patriarch Poor Boutros al-Rahi said on Friday.
In his Christmas message, al-Rahi rebuked Lebanese politicians for “considering dissent”.
Al-Rahi said: “It would be better for the officers to walk among the people, roam the streets, enter homes, visit the sick, talk to the parents, listen to their suffering and the cries of their children and see how many people They go to bed hungry every night.
“It will be good for them to see how many people are homeless now, how many girls and boys are not enrolled in schools.
“If they see the condition of government hospitals and schools, orphanages and institutions for people with special needs, they will be ashamed of themselves and will resign,” he said.
“Despite all this, we see that those in power are immersed in their struggles and are looking for tricks, compromises and bargains for revenge, to ward off their adversaries, to employ their allies, and conspire to postpone parliamentary and presidential elections, only to serve their personal interest, at the expense of Lebanese and Lebanese,” Al-Rahi asserted.
The patriarch’s plea came as Christmas decorations – like market activity – appeared timid in most Lebanese regions.
Many Lebanese will not celebrate a festive Christmas this year following fears of the country’s financial collapse and a COVID-19 outbreak over the holidays.
Thousands of Lebanese expatriates, including those leaving Lebanon, have returned home for the holidays over the past few years.
“On Wednesday alone, 91 Lebanese aircraft landed at Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport to spend the holiday with their families and renew their faith in Lebanon,” said Ali Hamiya, Minister of Public Works and Transport.
Streets lit with Christmas lights are plunged into darkness amid hours of power cuts and rations.
Two years into the country’s unprecedented economic crisis, many Lebanese have forgotten what it’s like to enjoy a holiday.
People in supermarkets have complained about the extra increase in prices.
“Except for our salary, everything is based on black market exchange rates in US dollars or Lebanese pounds. How can we live like that?” Housewife Rana told Arab News.
It would be better if the officers walk among the people, roam the streets, enter homes, visit the sick, talk to the parents, listen to their pain and the cries of their children and see how many go to bed hungry every night .
Maronite Patriarchate, Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi
The price of a kilogram of chestnuts – a popular food during the holiday season – reached 150,000 Lebanese pounds ($99), while the price of an imported mango reached 50,000 Lebanese pounds.
A Christmas staple, the traditional cake, is also expensive, and is being sold in many stores for over 300,000 Lebanese pounds.
Jewelry merchants have reported almost no sales during the Christmas season, and many parents have told their children that Santa Claus will not arrive on December 25.
Meanwhile, a growing number of beggars are begging restaurant-goers for food scraps, with four out of five Lebanese now living below the poverty line.
The most outrageous scene of this Christmas came when public sector employees, members of the military and security service personnel were queued for hours in front of banks to collect their salaries.
Lebanon’s Central Bank issued a circular allowing public sector employees to buy dollars from banks at a fixed exchange rate.
And by taking those dollars and exchanging them for Lebanese pounds at the black market rate, some workers were able to obtain an additional 450,000 Lebanese pounds for every $100.
Military personnel now earn less than $50, based on black market rates. Before the economic crisis, his salary was as high as about $1,000.
Footage of the scenes went viral online, sparking outrage from hundreds of activists and Lebanese citizens.
“Market activity is slow,” said Nicolas Chammas, president of the Beirut Merchant Association.
“We were expecting things to pick up during the holidays, especially after the losses suffered by the sector during the summer,” he said.
“Unfortunately, there were fewer buyers and their purchasing power has dropped significantly. This is the weakest holiday season we have experienced since 1975.
“Even in the midst of a war, the market had never seen such a slowdown. Very few people bought toys, electronics, jewelry and perfumes this year.
“Before the economic crisis, these products resulted in $250 million in income per week before Christmas. Today, we estimate only $10 million to $15 million per day. It’s a real disaster.”
He attributed the change to a decline in purchasing power among the Lebanese people.
Chammas said people need to meet their basic needs in terms of food and fuel before buying gifts.
“We have hit rock bottom. Only about 50 per cent of the shops have survived the crisis, but not all will be able to make it through the year,” he said.
“Some of the contributors to market activity this Christmas are expatriates who have returned to Lebanon for the holidays.”
Pierre al-Ashkar, head of the Syndicate of Hotel Owners in Lebanon, has warned that the return of migrants during the holiday season will fail to revive the tourism sector.
He said that about 90 percent of migrants in Lebanon have their own homes. Al-Ashkar said that very few Arab tourists are also coming for the holiday.
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