Independence Day Flags, Saint Barbara and Christmas Lights: Late November to Mid-December in Lebanon
Between the last week of November and the middle of December, Lebanon changes pace. The olive harvest is over, the first snow whitens the high peaks, and the country moves from the quiet of autumn to the lights of the holiday season. For Lebanese families abroad, these are the weeks when the phone calls home get longer and the question comes back every year: when do we go back? Here is what is happening in the mountains above Beirut, and why Broummana is a good place to plan the answer.
22 November: flags over the Metn
Independence Day falls on 22 November, and it is one of the few dates that every Lebanese, wherever they live, marks in their own way. Flags appear on balconies and car aerials, schools and municipalities hold ceremonies, and the evening news is full of the national anthem. In the villages around Broummana you will see the cedar flag hung from stone houses between the pine trees. If you are abroad, it is the day you will probably hear from your cousins before breakfast.
If you want to know how autumn looked in the mountains just before this, our earlier article on olive presses, chestnuts and Independence Day is a good companion read.
Early December: Saint Barbara and Saint Nicholas
On the night of 3 to 4 December, Lebanese children put on costumes for Saint Barbara's Day, going from door to door and sharing a bowl of burbara, the sweet of boiled wheat, pomegranate seeds, nuts and sugar. It is a tradition shared by many families in the Metn and across Mount Lebanon, and it is one of the best reasons to be in the country in early December. Two days later, on 6 December, many families mark Saint Nicholas, and on 8 December the Immaculate Conception brings another round of church services and family lunches.
None of these are tourist events. They are the calendar of ordinary Lebanese life, and that is exactly why they are worth seeing with your own eyes. Dates and local programmes can shift from year to year, so confirm details nearer the time with the municipality or the parish.
Christmas lights and the first snow
By the end of November the towns of the Metn start to light up. Christmas trees go up in the squares, shop windows in Beirut fill with decorations, and the coast road becomes a ribbon of lights after dark. Higher in the mountains, the first snow usually dusts the peaks and, in a good year, the ski resorts in the north and the Kesrouan start preparing for the season. Whether the slopes open in time always depends on the weather, so plan around the snow and not around the calendar. The same goes for the Byblos Christmas tree, which has become a symbol of resilience for many Lebanese: our article on the Byblos Christmas tree tells that story.
To follow what is on across the country, the Ministry of Tourism publishes official visitor information, the Beiteddine Art Festival lists its programme and the Lebanese Army shares news around Independence Day. For history, the Roman temples of Baalbek are worth planning a visit around.
Lebanon's heritage towns make good day trips from the mountains: the giant Baalbek Stones, the Umayyad ruins of Anjar, the old souks of Tripoli and Sidon, the harbour of Byblos and ancient Tyre.
Broummana itself is a short drive from all of this. Broummana sits on the pine-covered ridge above Beirut, close enough to the capital for an evening out and far enough to feel the mountain air, which in December is cold, clear and scented with wood smoke. It is about 15 minutes from Beirut.
A word about Quartier Suisse this winter
Quartier Suisse Hotel is closed from October to May and will reopen in May 2027. We do not run a regular winter season. What we can do is consider a Christmas and New Year opening on request, for families and groups who tell us early that they plan to come home for the holidays. If that is you, write to us and tell us your dates, the number of guests and whether you would like rooms or suites. We will tell you honestly whether an opening is possible.
Plan the return now
The best trips home are planned months ahead. Whether you want to be in Lebanon for the summer of 2027, for a family wedding, a baptism or simply to see the mountains again, the moment to think about it is now, while you are still hearing from relatives about the autumn.
Quartier Suisse offers both rooms and suites. If you are travelling with parents, children or friends, reserve your room or suite in advance for the reopening in May 2027 or for the summer: reservations made before the end of March 2027 receive our 10% early-booking discount.
Keep our address
To reserve a room or suite in advance for 2027, to ask about a possible Christmas and New Year opening, or simply to stay informed about the reopening, write to info@quartiersuisse.com, call +961.24.86.06.06 or use our contact page. Share this page with the friends and relatives who travel home too, and may Lebanon be waiting for you in the best light of the year.