A group of children celebrating Qarqi’an in Kuwait (KUNA)

Kuwait -

With great enthusiasm, Abu Muhammad, accompanied by his two sons, moved between the shops of the famous Mubarakiya Market in the capital, Kuwait, searching for types of sweets to buy to celebrate “Garqian”, which is a Ramadan tradition passed down through generations.

Abu Muhammad tells Al Jazeera Net that this occasion, which begins near the end of the holy month of Ramadan, carries many beautiful memories, and that by celebrating it with his children, he is trying to satisfy some of the nostalgia for the old Ramadan of Kuwait, or “the first Ramadan,” as it is called in the Gulf. It is one of the traditional celebrations that still continues today.

The words reflect a general state of nostalgia for “the first Ramadan,” accompanied by a constant process of searching for the atmosphere that distinguished it, a feeling revealed by words that are always on the lips of many with the advent of Ramadan and during the days of the holy month.

Abu Muhammad searches for his nostalgia for the atmosphere of Ramadan in the past in the Mubarakiya market in the Kuwaiti capital (Al Jazeera)

Lack of rituals

Muslims in various Arab countries usually feel a state of nostalgia due to the lack of many of the Ramadan rituals and atmosphere that they were accustomed to in the past, and which are absent at the present time for several reasons, foremost of which is the impact of technological progress and various life pressures.

Historian Bassem Al-Loughani describes this feeling as a constant search for the state of social warmth that surrounded Ramadan in the past, starting with the method of visiting and the father taking his children on foot to visit relatives and family in neighboring homes and diwaniyas during the days of the holy month, before the widespread use of cars.

Al-Loughani told Al-Jazeera Net that nostalgia is a life cycle that is inherent to everyone in the different stages of life, and in Ramadan it includes many things, including the style of worship itself, as the mosques of Kuwait before the discovery of oil were distinguished by their small area and simple construction of mud bricks, and the voices of remembrance and praise were echoed in them collectively after... Each obligatory prayer is similar to dhikr circles in which all attendees participate, and it is a religious tradition that has now disappeared.

According to the Kuwaiti historian, the differences even include the way of sitting around the dining table, around which all the male family members gathered, and near them another table gathered all the female family members, as the total attendance in one house reached 20 people, which is no longer the case. It exists in light of the pressures of current life and the development it is witnessing, which in turn has affected social customs.

Providing all Ramadan necessities was done in the past, long before the coming of the month (Al Jazeera)

Preparing for Ramadan

In his book “Kuwaiti Charitable Work in the Past,” the head of the Kuwait Humanitarian Documentation Center, Khaled Al-Shatti, records many aspects of the celebration of Ramadan in the past. He mentions that the people of Kuwait were preparing for its arrival at the beginning of the month of Shaban by preparing food supplies sufficient for the entire month, most notably the dates that were brought from Basra and rice were brought from India.

Al-Shatti points out that by the 15th of Shaban, the people of Kuwait were starting to pound harees and jareesh in a celebration in which the women and children of the family also participated in rejoicing at the approaching month of Ramadan.

Ramadan was famous in the past for what is known as “Naqsa,” which is a gift that the family allocates to neighbors, friends, and relatives to rejoice in the holy month, and it consists of food, incense, perfumes, or clothes. It is a custom that families are keen on to this day as a manifestation of compassion and affection among themselves.

Al-Mubarakiya Market is a window from the past to the atmosphere of Ramadan in the past (Al-Jazeera)

Mubarakiya Market

According to Kuwaiti heritage researcher Muhammad Kamal, today’s Mubarakiya Market, with its historical landmarks and heritage markets, represents an opportunity to restore some of ancient history, especially during the month of Ramadan.

Kamal adds to Al Jazeera Net that many Kuwaitis are trying to restore childhood memories by walking around the place and buying some Ramadan supplies for their children from its stores, including sweets and Rahash, as well as Qurqi’an supplies of candy and other items that are mixed together and packed in small bags for children who visit homes during During the days of celebration of this occasion, they chant songs so that the householders distribute sweets to them.

During the past nights, the streets of Kuwait witnessed the innovation of new methods for celebrating Qirqaan. Including placing gurgaan candy on top of some convertible cars that were driving around the suburban streets to celebrate this occasion with neighborhood children by distributing candy to them.

Kamal mentions that the celebration of Eid al-Fitr used to begin immediately after the middle of the month by going to the markets to buy the fabric for the Eid dress, the rosary, and the ring, and then waiting several days until the sewing of the dress was finished, an atmosphere that there is no longer an opportunity to experience currently in the same old way due to modernity that has allowed the purchase of many things. Things are ready in a short time, effortlessly and perhaps without leaving the house.

According to those who Al Jazeera Net spoke to, today’s celebrations, which are linked to the holy month, lack the simplicity that was one of the most important features of celebrations in the past, while today’s celebrations, the most famous of which is the “Gergean Party,” represent an additional burden on the family, which finds itself required to buy large quantities of sweets with the necessity of having Some aspects accompanying the ceremony increase the financial costs, unlike what was present previously.

Source: Al Jazeera