Dayem, dayem! The Feast of the Theophany
“When you, O Lord, were baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest; for the voice of the Father bore witness to you, calling you his beloved Son, and the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truthfulness of his word. O Christ our God, who have appeared and enlightened the world, glory to you!”
On the night of 5–6 January every year there is a feast that people call “Dayem dayem” or “Ghtas”, and that the Churches call the Denh, the commemoration of the baptism of the Lord Christ in the Jordan, or the Theophany.
On this night there are beautiful customs that we inherited from our ancestors and still hand on to our grandchildren, hoping we never lose them. The night is called “Dayem dayem” because, according to popular belief, on this night Christ visits the whole earth, which bows down to welcome him, even its trees, except the fig tree that he once cursed. So mothers knead a small piece of dough at home without adding yeast and hang it on the trees (not on the fig tree, of course), hoping to receive the blessing of Christ as he passes at midnight, and then use it to bless the kneading trough, which was the mainstay and the capital of the village household.
Another custom is for villagers to open, on this night, all their jars of oil and grain and all their provisions, to ask for blessing and for it to remain in the house for ever. And as with every feast, those who celebrate offer all kinds of sweets, the most famous being awamat and zalabieh, dipped in boiling oil and then in syrup, becoming a treat that the grown-ups rush for even before the children. And of course the bells ring at midnight and festive Masses are celebrated in honour of the One who will pass by on this night… who will pass by and visit every home and every heart that is ready.
Dayem, dayem: may love, peace, serenity and hope always remain in your homes and in your hearts.
