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St Barbara: The Story of a Christian Martyr of Unshakeable Courage! Aline Haddad Sunday, December 3,
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St. Barbara: The Story of a Christian Martyr of Unshakeable Courage!
Aline Haddad
Sunday, December 3, 2023
Francesco Soderini, St. Barbara and her father struck by lightning, around 1700. Wikimedia Commons.
St. Barbara is a saint and martyr (circa +235) venerated in Christianity, specifically in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Her feast day is celebrated mainly in Lebanon. She embodies courage and devotion in the face of adversity. Her fascinating story transcends time to remind us of the strength of faith and perseverance in the face of oppression. Originally from Nicomedia in Asia Minor (now Türkiye), St. Barbara lived in the 3rd century in Heliopolis (now Baalbek, Lebanon) under Emperor Maximian, during a period of intense religious persecution. She was extraordinarily beautiful and highly intelligent. Her decision to convert to Christianity, and her opposition to the plans of her father, make her a powerful symbol of unshakeable faith.Her father was a wealthy pagan named Dioscorus, who wanted to marry her off to a Persian prince. However, St. Barbara converted to Christianity at the age of 16, When Dioscorus discovered she was a Christian, she fled to the wheat fields to escape him. When she was found, she was imprisoned in a tower and tortured. The tower was burnt down, but St. Barbara remained alive. Eventually, she was martyred and executed by her own father. At this very moment, a bolt of lightning struck Dioscorus, who was burned to death.She is known as the "Saint of Fire," and is the patron saint of miners and firefighters in France and of certain engineering trades in many Western and Eastern countries.Her story, her conversion, her tragic martyrdom, and her legacy has endured for generations. She is widely celebrated even today.
Eid El Barbara or St. Barbara's Day
The feast of St. Barbara is widely celebrated in Lebanon. It is a celebration that precedes Christmas and is accompanied by various festivities and customs. The tradition begins on December 3, the eve of the feast day, children dress up as Saint Barbara, and families visit each other and get together. When visiting their neighbours and relatives, children receive money and specially prepared homemade desserts.Since St. Barbara hid in a field of wheat, wheat has become a very important symbol of her feast day. Each family prepares for Christmas by planting wheat and lentil seeds in three small dishes covered with water-soaked absorbent cotton, symbolizing the Trinity. The seedlings are watered daily until Christmas, and when they sprout, it's a sign of blessing and prosperity for the new year. Families also prepare traditional wheat-based dishes such as amhieh (wheat berry pudding) as well as desserts such as maakroun (semolina sweets), mchabbak (fried dough shaped into a spiral and dipped in sugar syrup) and katayef (sweet dumpling filled with cream or nuts).. They also remind us of the exceptional memories we carry with us all our lives, and pass onto future generations.
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