The Governor of Beirut, Marwan Abboud, along with the Mayor Abdullah Darwish and the President of the "Beirut Awards" Association, Mohamed Halwani, lit the Christmas tree in Martyrs' Square, in the presence of several members of the municipal council, artists, and media personnel. The symbolic celebration began with the Lebanese national anthem followed by a welcoming speech from Halwani to Governor Abboud and the Mayor. Artist Rowaad Raad sang the Christmas Eve hymn.
Governor Abboud delivered a speech stating: "This year, Christmas comes to this tormented East; since the year 2023 when Lord Jesus was born, Herod committed a massacre against the children of Bethlehem. And after 2023 years, the same Herod is committing massacres against the children of Gaza, Bethlehem, all the occupied Palestine, and southern Lebanon. We have been here in this East for 2023 years, and we resist in this East."
He added: "Our celebration today of the glorious Christmas in downtown Beirut, near the statue of the martyrs, is to affirm that in Beirut we continue to resist." He pointed out that "the celebration is modest and far from extravagance; it is a symbolic celebration. We wanted to emphasize through it that Beirut will continue to live and it wants to celebrate despite the state of war that Lebanon and the region are experiencing. However, the continuation of the Christmas celebration is a confirmation of the pulse of this life. We call upon all expatriates and all children of this nation, both inside and outside, to celebrate this holiday, come to Lebanon, visit their families, and frequent hotels and restaurants, and contribute to this country, so that it can endure and its people can feel the joy of the holiday."
He expressed hope that "Lebanon's future will be better than the current situation, and we ask God to protect Lebanon and its people."
