Food is a very large part of Middle Eastern cultures. Most families spend their quality time together over meals. It’s safe to say that every occasion and every festivity, especially the religious ones, has its own special signature dish. With the fast approach of Easter Sunday, the last week of Lent is the time for making “maamoul”. It’s a tradition that has lasted at least a few hundred years, if not even longer. Back then, the matriarch of the family gathers the daughters, the sisters and sometimes the neighbours to make this traditional sweet. The more the merrier. Every branch of the family would receive their dedicated portion. Nowadays, it’s a little bit less common. Women, mainly in the cities, are opting to buy ready to eat “maamoul” from the countless pastry shops. Making “maamoul” is no easy task, so it’s quite understandable why mothers are shying away from such a huge workload. The process of making “maamoul” brings back memories of how our own grandmothers used to move around the kitchen. How the entire house smelled of beautiful glorious baking. How the whole family would gather around her. Making “maamoul” is not just simply making a random dish. Making “maamoul” is preserving a centuries’ long tradition. It’s making wonderful memories for the generations to come. It’s preserving our heritage and identity. It’s part of what makes us proud Lebanese Christians in a conflict-ridden middle east.