Lebanese city opens Christmas market despite economic crunch – The National

Lebanese city opens Christmas market despite economic crunch – The National

As the Lebanese capital languishes in darkness with the cash-strapped government unable to provide more than two or three hours of power a day, Christmas festivities in the coastal tourist hub and home town of President Michel Aoun's powerful son-in-law are bold and bright.

The sound of carols and the smell of roasted chestnuts filled the squares and the old souq of Batroun as hundreds of people gathered in front of Saint-Estephan Church on Saturday to celebrate the opening of a Christmas market despite Lebanon's nationwide financial meltdown.

The opening highlights the rare case of a city that has seen a tourism boom even as the country's economy collapses.