Beirut  - Thirty cheerful clowns from Germany, Italy, Morocco and Lebanon cheered the Lebanese public Tuesday by dancing in the rain in the capital Beirut.

Wearing rainbow-colored wigs and red plastic noses, the clowns put on a show in the main shopping district of Hamra street, bringing cheer to Lebanese children on the second day of the Muslim al-Adha holiday.

Some clowns walked on stilts as others danced, juggled, blew up balloons and took pictures with the crowd that gathered to watch the show in the pouring rain.

"It is meant to introduce street performances and comic relief as a way to deal with tense situations and conflict," said Tonnie Selwood Choeiri, one of the organizers.

"They brought joy into the hearts of our children," said Souad Shami, a mother of twins, who were watching the show.

One of the German clowns who identified himself as Claus, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, "Our mission today is to see Lebanese children laughing."

This holiday season sees Lebanon in recovery after three years of unrest, including a string of assassinations, a devastating war with Israel, a 15-week battle with Islamists, civil strife and a debilitating political crisis.

Lebanon is hoping that the Christmas holiday will bring Arab and foreign tourists back to the country and revive its ailing economy. (dpa)