Eid al-Milad
Celebrated solemnly by Arab Christian communities and commercially across major metro areas with light displays, trees and markets.
Eid al-Milad, the feast of the Nativity, is Christmas as celebrated by the Arabic-speaking Christian communities of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq on 25 December; the Copts of Egypt keep the older calendar and celebrate on 7 January. In Lebanon and Jordan it is a public holiday for everyone, and in Beirut, Amman and Bethlehem the streets fill with lights, decorated trees and markets. The heart of the feast is the midnight mass on Christmas Eve, and at home a maghara, a nativity grotto, is built under the tree with moss, figures and a lamp.
The greeting is 'Eid milad majid', a glorious Nativity, answered with 'kull aam wa antum bikhair', may you be well every year, which Muslim neighbours also offer. Families sit down to turkey or stuffed lamb with kibbeh and tabbouleh, and to trays of maamoul, the shortbread filled with dates or walnuts that is baked for every feast. Children wait for Baba Noel, receive gifts and sometimes an eidiyah, a small gift of money, and church choirs sing Arabic carols such as 'Laylat al-Milad' late into the night.
The pack has 36 words spread across these domains.
Same words in both. Beginner gets more help: matching and completing. Advanced listens and spells it out unaided. Pick it in practice; it locks when you take the scored run.
Practise as often as you like, all year. The scored run happens once, while the competition is open, and cannot be retaken.