Following decades-old traditions, seasonal decorations and towering Christmas trees lit up both the Beirut and Byblos campuses, bringing together students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends in joyful celebration.

The festivities began on November 26 with the Christmas Village at the Byblos Campus, a fundraising event organized by the Office of the Dean of Students. Sparkling holiday stalls, concerts and cheerful gatherings brought the spirit of the season to life.

As part of the event, audiences enjoyed two concerts at the Selina Korban Auditorium: One featuring Lebanese-Canadian opera singer Joyce Khoury with pianist Charles Kormaz, and another led by Assistant Professor of Practice Reem Deeb, accompanied by the LAU Beirut Vocal Ensemble, LAU Byblos Vocal Ensemble, LAU Children’s Choir, and pianist Olga Bolun.

On November 27, a performance by the LAU Music Club added a vibrant student-led dimension to the celebrations.

In turn, on November 28, the LAU Beirut campus came alive with “Traditions and Carols from Across the Globe III,” a musical journey across continents, also conducted by Dr. Deeb and performed by the same ensembles and pianist.

From December 3 to 5, LAU students with the help of the Office of the Dean of Students hosted a “A Very Merry Christmas Gathering,” a Christmas village on the Beirut campus.

Students and families gathered to stroll through the Safadi Fine Arts space, sharing moments of joy and singing carols together. The celebration culminated in the lighting of the Christmas tree, lit in this location for the first time in the presence of LAU President Chaouki T. Abdallah. The event featured a charity market alongside seasonal activities, reinforcing the spirit of giving that defines the holidays.

On December 4 at the Beirut campus and December 5 at the Byblos campus, audiences were treated to the spirited concert “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” conducted by Assistant Professor of Practice in Music of Performing Arts Michele Chemaly, featuring the LAU Choir alongside the Qadisha Choir.

Adding a touch of classical elegance, tenor Bechara Moufarrej graced the stage of the Gulbenkian Amphitheater, Beirut campus, on December 15 in “A Tenor’s Christmas” as part of the Beirut Chants program. Moufarrej captivated audiences with celebrated arias, including Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s opera Turandot, as well as Italian classics such as Con te Partirò and O Sole Mio. The evening continued with a selection of traditional Christmas carols and popular holiday and winter songs.

The season concluded on December 21 with another Beirut Chants event at Irwin Hall, Beirut campus, featuring the El Sistema Youth Orchestra and Choir, an initiative rooted in a global movement for music as social change, under the direction of orchestra conductor Ramzi Kandalaft and choir conductor Zakar Keshishian, with Kamila Yerkanian on piano. Their performance reverberated across the campus with harmonized voices and melodies.

Together, these gatherings wove music tradition, and community into a shared seasonal rhythm—one that echoed across both campuses and reaffirmed LAU’s commitment to bringing people together through culture and celebration.