Eid il-Burbara
| Eid il-Burbara | |
|---|---|
A Burbara dish | |
| Observed by | Christians and Alawites in Lebanon Syria Palestine Jordan Turkey[1] Georgia |
| Type | Religious |
| Celebrations | cooking traditional food, wearing costumes, chants/hymns, decorations |
| Date | 4 December |
| Next time | 4 December 2026 |
Eid il-Burbara or Saint Barbara's Day (Arabic: عيد البربارة), and also called the Feast of Saint Barbara, is a holiday annually celebrated on 17 December (Gregorian calendar) or 4 December (Julian calendar) amongst Middle Eastern Christians in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Turkey (Hatay Province).[1] It is also celebrated as Barbaroba (ბარბარობა) amongst Christians in Georgia.[2] Beyond its observance within Christian communities, Eid il-Burbara is also celebrated among the Alawite communities in certain regions.[3][4][5]
Its celebration shares many elements with Hallowe'en, though coming from a much earlier tradition, and unrelated to the feast of the dead. Traditionally, adults and children wearing disguise go around houses in the villages dancing and singing the story of Saint Barbara; and in each house, they are offered food (and sometimes money) specially prepared for that feast.[6] The general belief amongst Levantine Christians is that Saint Barbara disguised herself as many different characters to elude the Romans who were persecuting her.
Traditions
The traditional food made on this feast is Burbara, a bowl of boiled wheat grains, pomegranate seeds, raisins, anise, and sugar, which is originally from the Christian village of Aboud in Palestine. It is offered to children who go from one house to another in costumes.[7] The dish Burbara dates back to at least the 19th century.[8]
In the Middle East, Middle Eastern Christians cook a dough that is filled with walnuts or cheese, called Qatayef. Other popular traditional holiday foods include awameh and zalabiyeh.[9][10] Heavy traffic occurs in bakeries because of people buying the traditional food for this holiday. Children go trick or treating [11] while singing a special song for Eid il-Burbara.[12]
A common practice in Lebanon on Eid il-Burbara finds its source in the story of Saint Barbara who, it was believed was miraculously saved from persecution while fleeing: She ran through freshly planted wheat fields, which grew instantly to cover her path.
This miracle is celebrated symbolically by planting wheat seeds (or chick peas, barley grains, beans, lentils, etc.) in cotton wool on Saint Barbara's feast day. The seeds germinate and grow up to around six inches in time for Christmas, when the shoots are used to decorate the nativity scene usually placed below the Christmas tree.
The Souk el Tayeb in Beirut celebrates this festival every year.[13]
See also
- Geography of Halloween
- Kollyva
- Lebanese Greek Orthodox Christians
- Christianity in the Middle East
- Maronites
References
- ^ a b Ruben, Don (1999). World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre Volume 4: The Arab World. Routledge. ISBN 9780415865364.
- ^ Barbaroba Retrieved 1 October 2019
- ^ "Antakya'da bereket bayramı: Azize Barbara". Bianet (in Turkish). 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
- ^ "Hatay'da Bırbara Bayramı Kutlandı". Antakya Gazetesi (in Turkish). 2021-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
- ^ "Antakya'da bereketin sembolü Azize Barbara Bayramı kutlanıyor" (in Turkish). Gazete Duvar. 2021-12-19. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
- ^ Eid il-Burbara Archived 2014-12-19 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 August 2013
- ^ Saint Barbara Traditions and Customs Archived 2014-12-19 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 August 2013
- ^ Spiro, Socrates (1895). An Arabic-English Vocabulary of the Colloquial Arabic of Egypt: Containing the Vernacular Idioms and Expressions, Slang Phrases, Etc., Etc., Used by the Native Egyptians (in Arabic). Al-Mokattam printing office. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ "عيد البربارة: من هي القديسة التي "هربت مع بنات الحارة"؟" [Saint Barbara's Day: Who is the saint who "ran away with the girls of the neighborhood"?]. BBC News Arabic (in Arabic). 3 Dec 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ ""قطايف، قمح مسلوق وضحكات الاطفال": كيف يحتفى بعيد القديسة بربارة من جيل الى جيل؟" ["Qatayef, boiled wheat and children's laughter": How is Saint Barbara's Day celebrated from generation to generation?]. SBS. 4 Apr 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ St. Barbara's Day Retrieved 1 August 2013
- ^ Hashli Borbara song
- ^ Kloosterman, Karin (8 December 2025). "Slow food market Souk el Tayeb in Lebanon celebrates food and Eid El Barbara - Green Prophet". Retrieved 23 December 2025.