WWJE

For the Muslims, this is Ramadan, the period of fasting and austerity. Kind of like our Lent but with less Jesus.

St Charbel: Patron Saint of Duck Dynasty

Next week, the liturgical calendar for the Western Church includes an Eastern saint: St. Charbel who is also the first Lebanese saint canonized for the Latin Rite Church.

However, his feast day is on July 24th. His death was on December 24, which is usually the date saints are honored as it is the day they are born into everlasting life. He was ordained on July 23 but that's not the 24th. I have no idea why he's memorialized on the 24th of July.

But I wonder if throwing him on the 24th of July was some sort of papal joke. Since it is the month of Ramadan and the biggest religion (at one time it was equal to Christianity) of Lebanon is Islam, why not making a FEAST day for a Lebanese saint in the middle of the period of fasting? So the Christians could have some Lebanese banquet while the Muslims go hungry!

Because that's what we do. Screw with other faiths to make them angry.

Not really.

Seriously, it's a joke.

Anyway, since you didn't ask, here's some Lebanese food I had for lunch today. In Ramadan.

What you're seeing above is (left to right) Syrian bread, kibbeenaya and baked kibbee. Kibbee is a meat dish that includes ground round beef (lamb in the old country!), cracked wheat, and onion. The kibbee above was prepared by Coach John Sherman. He made three different kinds: kibbee without onion, kibbee with pecans, and kibbee with onion. It was all good. Even the pecan one. Which I've not had before.
Kibbeenaya is kibbee but raw kibbee. It's raw meat. With onion and wheat in it. And it's good. If you can handle it.

That's a better view of Syrian bread. It's as thick as newspaper (and with the state of newspapers..that's thin..BAH-ZING!). The bread is made of wheat flour and nothing else. Probably like the bread Moses used to make matzo with.

Now here's how you do it! Take some of that raw kibbee and put it on the thin Syrian bread...

 Roll it up and then eat it! It's like Syrian sushi! But with meat. And probably the same risk. If you're not among the strong.