Qatar Foundation (QF) will celebrate Garangao night at the Al Shaqab indoor arena on Thursday. More than 3,000 children are expected to take part in the event.

As part of its ongoing community development efforts, QF will bring the past into the present as more than 3,000 children and their families gather for a traditional night of celebration that falls on the midpoint of Ramadan.

QF’s Garangao night is open to the public and will begin at 9pm and end at midnight. The community will be transported back in time to a bespoke souq as they sample Qatari dishes, including haris, luqaimat, khanfaroush and jarish.

Children will be treated to storytelling, henna and face painting. Pony rides will evoke a sense of nostalgia of yesteryear, as will games such as sabbeh (a square game played in the sand), dahouri (wheel pushing), tileh (marbles) and gaiss (hopscotch).

The Garangao celebration is deeply rooted within Gulf culture. It first began as a daytime festival within tribal communities as both a reward and a distraction for children during fasting hours.

In more recent years, the celebration has evolved into a night-time event where Qatari children are adorned in colourful customary attire similar to the clothes worn by their ancestors. Offering traditional songs in exchange for gifts, children collect various nuts, dried fruits and sweets from family, friends and neighbours inside a hand-woven bag placed around their necks.

With a visitors’ tent and a variety of traditional giveaways on offer, it is a night set to foster an atmosphere that will carry the entire community back in time in a celebration of Qatar’s prized heritage.

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