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Culture of Lebanon

Culture of Lebanon: Encyclopedia - Culture of Lebanon

The Culture of Lebanon is varied, depending widely on the differing ethnic groups that live in Lebanon. Culture of Lebanon - Lifestyle. Several factors make it very difficult to generalize about the Lebanese "lifestyle". As in most developing countries, wide socio-economic gaps persist in Lebanon; furthermore, the typical lifestyle of the average Lebanese person is strongly influenced by his or her religious background. Still, there are some aspects of the Lebanese lifestyle that transcend sectarian ...

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Culture of Lebanon - Lifestyle

Culture of Lebanon - Arabness

Culture of Lebanon - Language

Culture of Lebanon - Creative Arts

Culture of Lebanon - Cuisine

Culture of Lebanon - Sports

Culture of Lebanon - Institutions

Culture of Lebanon - Universities

Culture of Lebanon - Religion

Culture of Lebanon, Culture of Lebanon - Arabness, Culture of Lebanon - Creative Arts, Culture of Lebanon - Cuisine, Culture of Lebanon - Institutions, Culture of Lebanon - Language, Culture of Lebanon - Lifestyle, Culture of Lebanon - Religion, Culture of Lebanon - Sports, Culture of Lebanon - Universities, Demographics of Lebanon, Lebanon football, Music of Lebanon

Culture of Lebanon: Encyclopedia - Culture of Lebanon

Culture of Lebanon

The Culture of Lebanon is varied, depending widely on the differing ethnic groups that live in Lebanon.

Culture of Lebanon - Lifestyle

Several factors make it very difficult to generalize about the Lebanese "lifestyle". As in most developing countries, wide socio-economic gaps persist in Lebanon; furthermore, the typical lifestyle of the average Lebanese person is strongly influenced by his or her religious background.

Still, there are some aspects of the Lebanese lifestyle that transcend sectarian and socio-economic lines. In particular, the Lebanese place a very strong value on the extended family. It is not uncommon for multiple generations to live in the same household, and most Lebanese who migrate to the country's urban centers retain close ties with their ancestral villages.

Lebanon is considerably more liberal and "westernized" than many other countries in the region. Alcohol is cheap and freely available, gambling is allowed...there are no dress-codes for either men or women, 75% of the women aren t veiled and Beirut in particular is full of western restaurant chains and shops and the city boasts a very big number of clubs, pubs, lounges which makes it the party mecca of the Middle East. However, despite the state's liberal character, some Lebanese people are actually more conservative, especially in rural areas.

Demographics of Lebanon, Lebanon football, Music of Lebanon

Culture of Lebanon - Arabness

Some Lebanese nationals, particularly Maronite Christians, tend to emphasize aspects of Lebanon's non-Arab history. Some Maronites even resist being classified as Arabs at all.

Over the centuries, Maronites formed a bond with the Pope and in the French period Maronites eagerly took part in France's mission civilisatrice. There is also an old Maronite idea, dating from the early 19th century writings of Tannus al Shidyaq, that the Maronites are the direct descendents of the Phoenicians. In the 1920s Michel Chiha expanded this idea of Phoenicianness.

In a concession to Lebanon's Eastern and Western heritage, some Lebanese prefer to see Lebanon as part of "Mediterranean" or "Levantine" civilization, neither Arab nor European.

Lebanese people are known for their friendliness and hospitality.

Culture of Lebanon - Language

Lebanon's official language is Arabic, but French, Armenian, and English are also widely spoken. Many Lebanese in fact speak a patois of some combination of these four languages, most commonly an Arabic-French or Arabic-Armenian mixture. Virtually all Lebanese are multilingual.

Spoken Lebanese Arabic is a dialect of Levantine Arabic, and very different from the literary Modern Standard Arabic.

Culture of Lebanon - Creative Arts

Lebanese music is known around the world for its soothing rythms and wild beats. Traditional and folk music are extremely popular as are western rythms. Some Lebanese artists like Najwa Karam and Assi Hellani remain loyal to traditional type of music knows as 'Jabali' (from the mountains), while most other artists incorporate western music into their songs. Lebanese artists are the most popular in the Middle East alongside a few Egyptian singers, and the star scene includes prominent figures like Nancy Ajram, Elissa (singer), Haifa Wehbe, Ragheb Alame, Myriam Fares, Wael Kfoury, Nawal al Zoghbi, Carole Samaha, Julia Boutros, Marwan Khouri, Waleed Tawfeek, Amal Hejazy and Majida El Roumi.

Culture of Lebanon - Cuisine

The Lebanese national dish is the kibbe, a meat pie made from finely minced lamb and burghul wheat. The national drink is Arak, a strong anise-flavored liquor made from fermented grape juice. It is usually drunk with water and ice, which turns the clear liquid milky-white, and always accompanies food.

Traditional Lebanese meals begin with a wide array of mezze-- small savoury dishes, such as dips, salads, pastries, and vegetables. The mezze are typically followed by a selection of grilled meats and fish. In general, meals are finished with Arabic coffee and fresh fruit, though sometimes a selection of sweets will be offered as well.

M'judra, a thick stew of onions, rice and lentils, is often considered a poor man's food and is eaten around Lent by Lebanese immigrants to the United States. It is never served to company by traditional Lebanese families.

Foreign cuisines -- especially French, Italian, American, and Asian -- are all easily available at restaurants throughout the country. Supermarkets generally stock a wide variety of Lebanese and European products.

Lebanon also boasts a number of internationally-renowned wineries, which are mostly located in the fertile Bekaa Valley. These include Chateau Ksara, Chateau Kefraya, Chateau Musar, and many others. The most common Lebanese beer is Almaza, which is often enjoyed at the beach on a hot summer day.

Culture of Lebanon - Sports

Because of Lebanon's unique geography, both summer and winter sports thrive in the country. In fact, in fall and spring it is sometimes possible to engage in both in one day, skiing in the morning and swimming in the Mediterranean during the afternoon.

Lebanon boasts six ski resorts, with slopes suitable for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and levels of experience. Off-slope, there are many opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.

In the summer, skilifts can be used to access some of Lebanon's best hiking trails, with panoramic views stretching as far as Cyprus to the west and Syria to the east on clear days. Canoeing, cycling, rafting, climbing, swimming, sailing and spelunking are among the other common leisure sports in Lebanon. Adventure and extreme sports are also possible throughout the country.

At the competitive level, basketball, football are among Lebanon's most popular sports. In recent years, Lebanon has hosted the Asian Cup and the Pan-Arab Games; the country will host the Winter Asian Games in 2009. To meet the needs of these international competitions, Lebanon maintains state-of-the-art athletic facilities, which in turn encourage local sporting activities. Lebanon sends athletes to both the winter and summer games of the Olympics and Special Olympics.

The Beirut International Marathon is held every fall, drawing top runners from Lebanon and abroad. Shorter races are also held for youth and less serious competitors. Race day is promoted as a fun, family event, and it has become a tradition for many to participate in costumes or outlandish clothing.