Magic of Gargee’an celebrations continue to unite Saudi, Gulf communities

RIYADH: With houses decorated in dazzling lights, and music reverberating in the streets, the magic of Gargee’an has been bringing together communities across Saudi Arabia for generations.

Gargee’an is a celebration that occurs twice in an Islamic year — on 15 Sha’ban and 15 Ramadan.

It is marked primarily in Gulf countries or the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, specifically Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The word Gargee’an essentially refers to the giving of gifts or goods, but has widely been used to refer to the day itself.

Children wearing traditional attire — boys in thobes and ghutras and girls in jalabiyas — frolic door-to-door singing and exchanging candy and nuts, particularly peanuts, and sometimes small toys.

Streets are sometimes closed to make it safer for people to walk as the celebrations kick in. Traditionally, a Tubaila, a man or band with drums, roams around the neighborhood alongside families singing traditional songs.

Reem Alfaqir, manager of Intangible Cultural Heritage Planning and Protection at the Ministry of Culture, told Arab News: “Gargee’an is a tradition which reminds the local community of their cultural past, bringing the neighborhoods and the kids together to celebrate the joy and happiness of Ramadan.

Gargee’an is a tradition which reminds the local community of their cultural past, bringing the neighborhoods and the kids together to celebrate the joy and happiness of Ramadan.

Reem Alfaqir, Manager of Intangible Cultural Heritage Planning and Protection, Ministry of Culture

“The goal of the Gargee’an tradition is to foster affection, happiness and love in both adults and children.”

“It’s a very important profession, and it’s on the decline and not many people know about it. It’s a culturally significant part and prominent art form. It sets the tone for Gargee’an,” Khaled Al-Mulhim told Arab News, referring to the role of a Tubaila and other rituals.

In many households, the celebration is dedicated to a newborn or the birth of the eldest child. If the celebration falls on a weekday, some may postpone it a day or two to ensure that all family or friends are able to attend.

Born and raised in Al-Ahsa, Al-Mulhim recalls his favorite memory as the Gargee’an was celebrated to mark the birth of his nephew Hamoody. “He’s like my brother. We’re very close to each other, so that night felt very special. It was the most special Gargee’an in my life,” Al-Mulhim told Arab News.

Continuing simple customs such as Gargee’an aids in preserving the culture’s history and is also an educational experience, said Al-Mulhim: “Even the decorations sometimes feature antique objects, old telephones, fabrics, dresser drawers, things related to our past.

“These days we celebrate holidays we can’t relate to, like Halloween and Christmas. Our culture is very rich and these celebrations, for example how kids wear clothing that our ancestors and grandparents used to wear, shows them the importance of keeping those traditions. This is our heritage.”

More businesses have been offering exclusive deals, goodie boxes, clothing sets, and sweets specifically for Gargee’an, competing with other stores to attract shoppers.

Initially, neighbors would give out half of their dry goods to others and receive the same. As time passed, the tradition began centering on children.

Sharing an anecdote, Zahra Al-Qatari, a Qatif native, told Arab News: “When I was a kid, we used to seek out the houses that gave out money. If we knew they gave out riyals, we would dress up differently and go back again for another visit, imagining they wouldn’t know. In retrospect, of course they knew it was us.”

The spirit of the occasion is enhanced by music that differs from region to region. “But nowadays I feel like kids are different. I don’t hear them singing these songs anymore and most of them don’t know it. It’s more like trick-or-treat,” Al-Qatari said.