Doha: The holy month of Ramadan is a religious and social occasion in which Qataris pledge to preserve the social values and popular traditions associated with it as part of the Qatari identity, where the people of Qatar seek to revive these customs every year.
Experts in social sciences and heritage stressed, in exclusive statements to the Qatar News Agency (QNA), the keenness of the people of Qatar to preserve the folk traditions that are part of the Qatari identity to be passed on from generation to generation, stressing that no matter how different the manifestations of the celebration of the holy month are, the values of Ramadan remain part of the society’s identity.
Head of the Department of Social Sciences at Qatar University, Dr. Fatima Ali Hussain Al Kubaisi told QNA that Qatari society was and still is full of many social values, the most important of which are cooperation, solidarity and compassion among people, stressing that the Qatari society was keen to adhere to these values in the past, despite the difficulty of life at that time, in addition to interest in strengthening the social ties between families and neighbors.
She added that religious values were the most dominant in Ramadan, as people in Qatari society feel the spirituality of this month. Ramadan’s preparations were characterised by simplicity, given the nature of life in that period.
Dr. Al Kubaisi pointed out the need to strengthen the popular heritage among the new generations, through the family’s keenness to involve children in these aspects.
Qatari folklore researcher, Khalifa Al Sayed Al Malki explained that Qatari society has always been preparing to receive the blessed month through inherited customs and traditions that indicate a special interest in Ramadan.
Al Malki narrated that Qatari customs were associated with certain foods in this month such as harees, thareed, sago, luqaimat. He indicated that people gather after Tarawih prayers in the majlis and exchange conversations, as well as family visits, where families distribute food, so a family cannot make food without giving it to its neighbours, stressing that all these things, despite their simplicity, helped increase cohesion and interdependence between the entire groups of society.
He talked about some of the aspects that the people of Qatar still preserve within their popular heritage, such as “Ghabka,” a feast that is eaten at midnight, and its aim is to bring people together for one feast; and Garangao, which is one of the prevailing Ramadan traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation in Qatar and the Gulf states as well. It is a celebration on the middle night of Ramadan, where families prepare sweets and nuts, and prepare to receive children who roam the streets of Al Fareej (the neighbourhood), knock on doors, and sing songs related to this occasion to get their share of sweets and nuts.
In conclusion, he stressed that the Qatari society still adheres to its customs, values and legacies associated with the holy month.
