Offering sweets and various types of "hospitality" during holidays among different sects is one of the most famous customs in Lebanon. However, the economic crisis, like many changes in our lives, has also imposed itself on our traditions. With the soaring exchange rate of the dollar reaching record and historical levels, the prices of sweets and everything that falls under the category of holiday "hospitality," such as chocolate, nuts, dried fruits, and the Bûche de Noël, have skyrocketed, forcing many families to forgo them.
The MTV website examined the prices in stores, where some items are priced in dollars and others in Lebanese pounds, but according to the exchange rate, and returned with the following figures:
- **Bûche de Noël**: The price of a Bûche de Noël cake varies based on its size, with each centimeter priced from one to two dollars. This means that a 35-centimeter cake costs at least 35 dollars, which equals approximately 1,557,000 Lebanese pounds at an exchange rate of 44,500 Lebanese pounds to the dollar.
- **Chocolate**: The prices for chocolate differ from one store to another, starting from one million Lebanese pounds per kilogram to fifty dollars in some luxury stores, equating to approximately 2,225,000 Lebanese pounds based on the aforementioned exchange rate. Prices may increase if the chocolate is packaged in an accessory item.
- **Dried Fruits and Nuts**: The price for a kilogram of regular nuts in the roastery starts at 300,000 Lebanese pounds, with "mixed nuts" reaching up to 900,000 pounds, and in some stores exceeding one million. The prices for dried fruits vary based on their types, with the average price starting at 500,000 Lebanese pounds per kilogram.
- **Irish Cream Drink**: This is the most famous drink served during the Christmas and New Year period, with its price soaring to around 670,000 Lebanese pounds for a drink from an international brand and about 420,000 Lebanese pounds for the same drink from a local brand.
