After a challenging few months, we’re delighted to bring back L’Orient Today’s Breakfast in Bed – our carefully selected reads for your weekend mornings. We’re kicking things off again with a holiday special, perfectly timed for these quieter, more reflective few days.

The period between Christmas and New Year’s Eve can often feel like a liminal space — a quiet, in-between interval where I find myself struggling to navigate the post-holiday blues while bracing for the New Year’s buzz. But these are also precious days that can offer an ideal opportunity to read something a little out of the ordinary.

With that in mind, we’d like to recommend the following articles that have captured our imaginations and might help to extend the festive feeling a little while longer:

In Gaza music as a refuge from war

For many of us in Lebanon and elsewhere, this holiday season as well as last year has been about finding pockets of joy in hard times. It’s often easier said than done, but Amélie Zaccour’s moving story on a music teaching initiative in Gaza reminds us that even in the most devastating circumstances, moments of light can still emerge.

A young Gazan girl taking a violin lesson with Edward Said National Conservatory teacher Fouad Khater on Nov. 26. (Credit: @fo2adkhader/Instagram)

Metropolis is back

An announcement that has me looking forward to 2025 and one that will thrill all cinephiles among you is the return of Metropolis cinema. With a new venue in Mar Mikhael and an exciting lineup of programming, Nicole Hamouche explores how this beloved initiative brings people together and celebrates Lebanese film heritage. 

The new Metropolis premises in Mar Mikhaël. (Credit: Laurent Selinder/L'OLJ)

The Lebanese man behind Selena Gomez’s multi-billion-dollar beauty brand

The Middle East has long been a trendsetter in the beauty world, and Lebanese-born Mehdi Mehdi has taken that legacy global as the COO of Selena Gomez’s business, Rare Beauty. Amanda Haydar reveals how this ACS Beirut alum helped create a billion-dollar beauty brand with a mission rooted in community and kindness.

Orwell, a visionary through the eyes of a child

After the chaos of such a turbulent year — and the usual frenzy of the holiday season — there’s something very appealing to me about George Orwell’s decision to retreat to the remote Scottish island of Jura. In this serene but unforgiving environment, he found the solitude and clarity to write 1984. Jean-Pierre Perrin revisits Orwell’s time on Jura, exploring how his longing for simplicity and childhood nostalgia shaped his life and literature.

George Orwell (Credit: AP)

Queen Elizabeth II's quiet distance from Israel

Earlier this month, surprising theories began circulating that during her 70 year reign, Queen Elizabeth II was a consistent critic of Israel. To what extent is this true and how much has the position of the British monarchy changed under Charles II?

The Queen of England, Elizabeth II in 2020. (Credit: AFP)

Huguette Caland: A Lebanese artist with a ‘mischievous’ gaze

Are you familiar with Lebanese artist Huguette Caland, a force of nature, redefining art, the body and the roles society tried to assign her? Gilles Khoury takes us on a journey through her Paris years, a time when Caland broke free from convention to create bold, sensual and subversive works that continue to captivate and inspire.

Lebanese artist Huguette Caland during her years in Paris between 1970 and 1987. (Credit: Jacques Prayer)

Fine-dining from home

Finally, this is the perfect time of year to indulge in a little culinary decadence –- not that we needed the excuse! To help you on your way we have curated four sumptuous recipes from some of the best Lebanese chefs for you to try, each with an expertly selected wine pairing for a special meal to round off and (bid good riddance to) a very long year!

Fresh, spicy cuvée to refine a beef tongue and sesame cream

Chardonnay and seafood moughrabieh: A perfect match

Sheikh al-mehshi meets a rosé with herbaceous notes

Um Ali and Moscatel: An explosive fusion of sweetness

Seafood moughrabieh. (Credit: Jad Abou Jaoudeh)