Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati decided on Thursday not to start daylight savings time over the last weekend of March - as usually happens in Lebanon, Europe and other regions - but instead to roll clocks forward an hour on April 20.
Though no reason was given for the decision, it was widely seen as a concession to Muslims, allowing those observing the holy month of Ramadan to break their daylight-hours fasts at around 6 pm rather than 7 pm
But Lebanon's influential Maronite church, the largest Christian church in the country, announced it would not abide by the decision, saying there had been no consultations or considerations of international standards.
It turned its clocks forward, and other Christian organisations, parties and schools announced similar plans. Lebanon's education minister, Abbas Halabi, also said on Sunday schools would operate on daylight savings time - against the government decision.
Meanwhile, Muslim institutions and parties appeared set to remain in winter time, deepening divides in a country that was rocked by a 1975-90 civil war between Christian and Muslim factions and where parliament seats are allocated by religious sect.
Businesses and media organisations, including two of Lebanon's main news channels - LBCI and MTV - announced they too would enter daylight savings time. "Lebanon is not an island," LBCI said in a statement.
Others tried to adapt.
Lebanon's national carrier Middle East Airlines said its clocks would stay in winter time but it would adjust its flight times to keep in line with international schedules.
The state-run telecoms duopoly sent messages to customers advising them to set the time on their devices manually, in case the clocks had automatically gone forward.
Many said the potential chaos was emblematic of decades of failed governance by leaders that led Lebanon into a 2019 financial crisis the World Bank said was "orchestrated" by elites.
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