Graish: Kuwaiti tradition inherited down the ages

Graish: Kuwaiti tradition inherited down the ages

By Ghadeer Ghloum

KUWAIT: When the holy month of Ramadan arrives, it is common to hear words that refer to celebrations related to this month, such as Girgian and ghabqa, among people in Kuwait. Such celebrations are very common and are part of the Kuwaiti heritage that is specifically linked to the month of Ramadan. However, traditional Kuwaiti events during the month of Ramadan do not stop at these two popular celebrations.

Graish is another Ramadan-related traditional event that people of Kuwait inherited from past generations. Unlike Girgian and ghabqa, Graish is celebrated on the last few days before the holy month of Ramadan begins. To further look into the history of Graish, Kuwait Times spoke to a local middle-aged woman, Om Ali, who has witnessed both the old and modern style of celebrating Graish in Kuwait.

How Kuwaitis used to celebrate Graish in the past

Om Ali shared with Kuwait Times an overview of what people used to do while celebrating Graish. “To celebrate Graish, people gather at the house of the eldest member of their family. Everyone prepares a dish of whatever food is left in their homes and takes it to the family gathering to eat together before it spoils. The