Eid il-Burbara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eid il-Burbara |
|
|---|---|
St Barbara
|
|
| Observed by |  RussiaChristians and Alawites in  Lebanon Syria Palestine Jordan Turkey Georgia |
| Type | Religious |
| Celebrations | cooking traditional food, wearing costumes, chants/hymns, decorations |
| Date | December 4 |
| Next time | 4 December 2025 |
Eid il-Burbara, also known as Saint Barbara's Day, is a special holiday. It is celebrated every year on December 4th or December 17th. This holiday is important to Christians in countries like Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Turkey. It is also celebrated by Alawite communities and in Georgia, where it's called Barbaroba.
Eid il-Burbara has some fun traditions that might remind you of Hallowe'en. However, it comes from a much older history. It is not related to the feast of the dead. On this day, both kids and adults dress up in costumes. They go from house to house in their villages. While visiting, they dance and sing songs that tell the story of Saint Barbara. At each house, people offer them special food and sometimes even money. Many Christians in the Middle East believe that Saint Barbara wore different disguises. She did this to escape the Romans who were trying to harm her.
Fun Traditions and Special Foods
On Eid il-Burbara, people enjoy making and sharing traditional foods. One very popular dish is called Burbara. It is a tasty bowl made from boiled wheat grains. It often includes sweet pomegranate seeds, raisins, anise, and sugar. This dish is usually given to children who visit houses in their costumes.
In the Middle East, many Middle Eastern Christians also prepare a delicious pastry. It is called Qatayef. This dough is often filled with walnuts or cheese. Bakeries get very busy before the holiday. Everyone wants to buy these traditional treats. Children also go "trick-or-treating" for food. They sing a special song for Eid il-Burbara as they visit homes.
The Miracle of the Wheat Seeds
A unique tradition in Lebanon for Eid il-Burbara comes from the story of Saint Barbara. People believe she was saved in a miraculous way while running from danger. The story says she ran through fields where wheat had just been planted. Suddenly, the wheat grew instantly and very tall. This helped to hide her path from those chasing her.
To remember this miracle, people plant seeds on Saint Barbara’s feast day. They often use wheat seeds, but sometimes they plant chick peas, barley, beans, or lentils. These seeds are usually planted in cotton wool. They begin to grow into small green shoots. By the time Christmas arrives, the shoots are about six inches tall. These green shoots are then used to decorate the nativity scene. This scene is usually placed under the Christmas tree.
