It is the time of the year when we bring up the cheerful and the soothing, the loving and the nostalgic, and the religious and the festive, but most importantly love and peace.
Remembering the reason for the season, this is a selection of great Lebanese Christmas songs, some of which have been timeless in Lebanon.
#1 Laylet Eid – Fairuz
Released in 1977, this classic remains a holiday favorite in Lebanon as the iconic diva Fairuz cheerfully transports us with her soothing voice into the heart of festivities.
#2 Sawt El Eid- Fairuz
Also released in 1977, this classic is part of Fairuz’s “Christmas Hymns” album, a song that still gives us goosebumps as her gracious voice takes us back 2020 years to the birth of Jesus.
#3 Jaye Al Layleh Yasoo3 (Jesus is coming tonight) – Julia Boutros
Released in 2013, this beautiful melody sung by Julia Boutros is a creative take on Christmas carols, with an original soundtrack that wasn’t heard before.
“Jesus is coming tonight, O Earth, bend. The voice of Joy is heard, the world is beaming,” Julia Boutros sings, with her powerful voice that brought her to stardom in the 1980s.
#4 Thalj Thalj (Snow Snow) – Fairuz
Released in 1992, Thalj Thalj celebrates the Nativity during the snowy season of Christmas, and what it means of Love in its purity.
#5 Majdak Behqi Bi Halzamen (Your Glory Remains In This Time Period) – Hiba Tawaji
An adapted version of Charles Wesley’s Hark The Herald Angel Sing, Hiba Tawaji released this powerful loving song of faith in 2017 in both English and Lebanese as part of her album Hallelujah.
Tawaji is famous for her angelic soprano voice. Her career was boosted when she participated in the 4th season of The Voice France.
#6 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Fairuz
Released in 1988, this is another Christmas special of Lebanon’s Jewel Fairuz. In this song, she calls for the bells to ring to wake up people to the midnight mass of Christmas, a tradition most Christians observe in Lebanon to date.
#7 Jras El Eid – Salwa El-Atrib
A Lebanese remake of the famous Jingle Bells, this festive song was released in 1994 by the late famous singer and actress Salwa El Katrib, and became quite timeless in Lebanon.
#8 Woulida El-Massih, Hallelujah (Christ Is Born…) – Majida El Roumi
Released in 2013, as part of her album Nour Min Nour (Light From Light), this Christmas melody is a reminder of why Christmas is a special celebration. UN Goodwill Ambassador and soprano singer, Majida El Roumi has performed on countless world stages and is widely loved in the region and beyond.
#9 Laylat Al Milad (The Night of Christmas) – Hiba Tawaji –
Released in 2017 as part of her album Hallelujah, this song has been sung by various Lebanese singers and remains one of the most loved Christmas hymns in Lebanon for all that it shares of that special celebration.
“[On] The night of Christmas, hate is erased… the world flourishes… war is buried… love pulsates…,” Tawaji sings, beautifully conveying the spirit of Christmas of love and peace.
#10 Ahla Bi Yassouh (Welcome, Jesus) – Carole Samaha
Carole Samaha delights us with this beautiful song that praises Jesus as it celebrates Christmas and its meaning.
#11 Hallelujah – Hiba Tawaji
We can’t list Tawaji’s Christmas song without including the main one of her 2017 album: Hallelujah.
#12 Heik El-Eid Enna (This is how Eid is in Beirut) – Yara
Released in 2016, this Lebanese interpretation of the english song Santa Clause is Coming to Town was written with special lyrics that speak how Christmas is best celebrated in Beirut.
#13 Yesou3 Enta El-Eid (Jesus, You Are The Celebration) – Nicole Saba & Youssef El-Khal
Lebanese singer sings this powerful Christmas song with her husband Youssef El-Khal, a song declaring the real reason for the season.
