The SEFP Blog

All of us who happened to be living in Lebanon happened to be very fortunate. We have a climate which promises us, the natural bounty of many native flowers, which happened to be very exclusive in our own area. Since ancient times, the wood of the cedar has been one of the greatest sources of our economic prosperity and not only has it been utilized well by the craftsmen of Lebanon, but it has also been a source of great inventive, and artistic craftsmanship by the creative artisans.

The products which have been created by this particular wood happen to be excellent gifts from Lebanon, and anybody would be very glad to get these beautiful handcrafted boxes, a Lebanese jar of wood, Phoenician wood carvings, wooden fountain, cups and coffee pot, a Jern Kebbeh, and even a Hokah which can be used for smoking nargile or argileh! All of these can be used as perfect gift items, and my choice happens to be an Ibrik or water jug, which is made up of cedar wood.

My friend gifted me with a lantern which she calls Kandil Zait, in fact, I can understand that the word Kandil means candle. She also told me the traditional wood carving, which is made up of the board of cedar or of the olive, goes back to an ancient tradition and happens to be the sort of craftsmanship, which would endure forever. She also happened to tell me a very romantic story, which makes me certain that I’m going to buy a cedar wood item for my Valentine! Once upon a time there lived a very poor boy who came down to the University of Beirut to study and fell for a rich lady belonging to an aristocratic family.

Naturally, in the tradition of Leilah- Majnoon, they were not allowed to meet and as he could not afford to buy her any jewelry, he started to carve her name out in Cedar to live forever. That was the time when a craftsman was born, and the traditional carving things in wood, which would endure for a long time, came into being.

Not only do you get wooden utensils in the shape of the jugs and bowls, but nearly all the furniture, which is made in Lebanon, happens to be made from this wood from the times of Homer, Plato and Pliny, because after all it was the wood from the Cedars which adorned the houses of the rich and aristocratic Egyptians, Phoenicians, Mesopotamians, Aramaeans, Greeks and Romans.

Not only do products of this fragrant wood have durability and quality, but it also happens to stand as a symbol of strength, peace, steadfastness, and mercy (flowers gifts to Lebanon). So it is time that you brought some peace into your life by taking a lesson from the Cedar!