Chady Hileneh - "Akhbar Al Yawm"

There are many sources of joy in the Christmas season, as it is not limited to decorations, but rather goes beyond it to the “Christmas toy”. Parents often feel embarrassed between their desire to buy things their children yearn for, and their inability to fulfill this, as prices are out of control.

The most joyful thing for a child, during the upcoming holidays, is to take off the wrapping of a colorful gift to make him feel the atmosphere of Christmas, but the economic crisis resulting from the insane deterioration of the exchange rate of the lira against the dollar, led to a significant increase in the prices of toys, exceeding 300 percent.

This means deducting all the monthly salary, especially if the family has more than one child.

  Johnny Harfouche, owner of a toy store, likens the current situation to solace and sadness because joy has become difficult, and every year the situation worsens, starting in 2019, and points out that the citizen is trying to adapt to the new reality due to the high exchange rate of the dollar, and live at the minimum to continue his life.

In his interview with "Akhbar Al-Yawm", Harfouch explains that the price of goods on the dollar is still the same, and the problem is that the dollar has exceeded twenty thousand Lebanese Lira today in the black exchange market..

Harfouche asks how the customer should buy when the prices are high compared to the minimum wage. The toy, which costed 75000 Lira, was worth 50 dollars, but now is sold for one million Lira, in accordance with to the price of the dollar on the black market, it may be considered a loss and the merchant cannot buy another one in view of the collapse of the exchange rate.

And the joy of the children of the digital generation is not complete without electronic games, but their pricing in dollars makes them a burden on the shoulders of the parents. For example, the price of the PS5 is about $500, while it is promoted in Lebanon around $1,200 because of the black market - and if you spend it on the Lebanese Lira, you have to exchange it for your home, according to Harfouche.

In her turn, Natalie, a housewife, clarifies: This year is unprecedented for us, who used to go through harsh conditions, but not like this. She adds: I will not bring any gifts for my children, as my livelihood is a million and a half, and I prefer to provide them with a meal than to spend my money on toys or clothes.

And she concludes: Indeed, we live with woes, as Christmas is the most beautiful feast of the year, but what gifts will we exchange?