A gathering of around 4,000 attended the annual Garangao night festivities of Qatar Foundation (QF) on Monday at the Al Shaqab Equestrian Centre.
During a fun-filled evening that celebrated youth and the richness of Qatari culture, hundreds of families participated in a wide range of free community activities, including traditional Arabic games for children, arts and crafts, pony rides and unique storytelling sessions.
Garangao is an annual festival that takes place during the holy month of Ramadan. 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, it has evolved into a night-time event, where children are provided with sweets, gifts and the chance to participate in team games and other much-loved pastimes.
QF played host a superbly entertaining and culturally-engaging Garangao night of celebrations to a packed house. Converted into a souq, the atmospheric venue treated its visitors to storytelling sessions, as well as free henna and face painting activities.
In a further display of embracing local culture, QF welcomed all those in attendance with traditional Karak and Arabic coffee, as well as popular Qatari dishes including, haris, luqaimat, and jarish. Garangao cakes, sweets and nuts were also handed out for families.
There were also a number of traditional Qatari games for children, including Gaiss (hopscotch), Tagyah, tug-of-war, Dahouri (wheel pushing), plus Gallinah and Natou.
Qatari national Yassin Zein al-Abedeen, who was attending the function with his children, said Garangao is an excellent occasion that many Qataris have celebrated since their early childhood.
“Of course, the nature of the Garangao celebrations have changed in recent years but I welcome the fact that our community is still celebrating this occasion together to revive the heritage and culture that distinguishes Qatar.”
Adding to the excitement, was a number of horse-related activities, provided by Al Shaqab, in recognition of Qatar’s equestrian heritage. Free for all, they included a mechanical bucking horse, pony rides and a high performance equestrian display.
During the four hours of the Garangao event, QR15,000 was collected and will be donated to QF member Reach Out To Asia. The charity supports QF’s mission to provide world-class education and nurture the development of progressive societies by addressing urgent social needs.