“Al Massih Kam”
“Hakkan Kam”
The Messiah has risen.
Indeed he has.
If the other witness did not second the opinion of the first, then the Messiah
has not risen. Much like “Happy Easter” is a one way missive, the Easter
greeting in Lebanon is a dialogue. It takes two to play the game. It takes a
second agreeing opinion. It takes double the faith, double the reassurance,
double the will to shout it out, to believe, to have the courage to let it known.
Indeed he has risen. But first there’s Good Friday with Feyrouz’s scorching
agony singing the usual chants.
“Wa habibi, wa habibi, what state are you in, he who has cursed you or ad-
dressed, whose son is this mesquin, wa habibi, what crime have you done or
commited.”
Agony in arms. Pieta all over again. The 14 stages of a road forever less
taken.
“Today he has been hanged on a wooden stick, he who has hanged the earth
on the water”
And she goes on, and on, breaking hearts in the process. “My people, my
friend, where the pact of faith.” Just last week it was Palm Sunday. But chil-
dren did not get to parade their new clothes this year because when proces-
sion time came, and the three turns around the church to be done symbolizing
each of the three days he has died, just then the weather turned sour. And
children got to stay indoors afraid of the rain. Not lighting their candles or
being put on shoulders for better view.
This year the Orthodox and the Catholic Easters fell on the same day, and it
is a notorious occurrence that during the Orthodox Good Friday, at around (if
not simply at) 3 p.m – the time of the Christ’s death – the weather completely
flips and it starts to rain. The fog was so thick this Friday that the dew ob-
scured the falling drizzle.
But it’s good to know that Saturday noon always comes. Saturday noon when
he rises. And indeed he does.
“Al Massih Kam”
“Hakkan Kam”
The Messiah has risen.
Indeed he has.

And on Saturday noon we eat Maamoul.
Maamoul is some sort of a baked cookie stuffed with either dates, pistachios,
or nuts. Maamoul means “done” or “done with”, so you can say “I want
one “done with” dates” and of course everyone would understand. Other
than that preparing maamoul used to be some sort of ritual in every house
sometimes even several houses gathering in one to do theirs. But with the
availability of maamoul from sweet shops and bakeries not a lot of people a
pursuing the tradition. Can’t be blamed really, because as I remember making
maamoul was such a physically challenging process - in order to give shape
to the cookie it had to be individually stricken with a mould made of wood.
Traditionally, the shape of the “maamoul” dates is round, the one for nuts and
pistachios oval.
Diets will surely wait.