Local tradition in Ramadan: Qaranqasho

Home & Away Tuesday 21/June/2016 09:13 AM
By: Times News Service
Local tradition in Ramadan: Qaranqasho

On the night before the 15th day, or half-way through Ramadan, children in Oman and around the Gulf celebrate Qaranqasho by wearing traditional costumes and going door-to-door through their neighbourhoods singing songs and collecting sweets and halwa. In the past, children used to carry shells and beat them against each other while singing. “Qaranqasho” is said to resemble the sound of the clashing shells. This celebration started as a way to reward children for successfully fasting for the first half of the month, and to encourage them to continue through the second half. It continues to be a beloved tradition throughout
the Gulf countries.