Fifteen days before Ramadan every year, children wear traditional clothes and carry colourful woven bags as they go door-to-door, singing in return for nuts and sweets. Hag Al Laila, which means “for this night”, usually begins after maghreb prayers and is a joyful way to remind communities that the holy month is just around the corner.

While popularly known as Hag Al Laila in countries including the UAE, the tradition is known by different names across the region. In Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and some cities in Saudi Arabia, it is called gerga’aan and is celebrated on the 15th day of Ramadan instead. It is celebrated on the same day in Oman too, but is called qaranqasho.

Origins

While its actual origins are known, some trace the tradition to one of the earliest Ramadans, when Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed, distributed sweets to people two weeks into the holy month. Others, however, suggest it predates Islam and could even be the basis for Halloween’s trick-or-treat tradition.

When is Hag Al Laila this year?

While the exact start of Ramadan will be dictated by the sighting of the new crescent moon, Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the board of directors of the Emirates Astronomy Society, told The National earlier that Ramadan was expected to begin on February 18.

This means Hag Al Laila would take place on February 3. However, some celebrations have already begun across the UAE. In Dubai, for example, bridges and lampposts have been decorated to mark the occasion. Malls in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have also launched a series of children’s activities, from traditional music performances to games and giveaways.

THE NATIONAL