Lebanese draw together to celebrate mysterious Zambo festival

TRIPOLI: Lebanese residents adorned themselves with curly, bright wigs for a festival before the start of Orthodox Christian period of Lent.

While the origins of the celebration remain uncertain, it is celebrated every year by a minority of orthodox Christians living in a Muslim-majority city. Despite being a minority, everything seems to come to life in Tripoli as people hop and dance and sing their hearts out chanting “Zambo, Zambo, Zambo!”

The festival is more than 100 years old and passed down from several generations. People from all faiths and sects take part in it.

Lebanon is home to 18 different religious communities. Legend says that it dates back to World War II.

The parade lasts for two hours ending near the Mediterranean Sea where the participants wash themselves off the paint and cleanse themselves before Lent begins.