Bahrain Lights Up for Mid-Sha’ban Festivities

TDT | Manama

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With the arrival of the fifteenth night of Sha’ban, yesterday the streets of several areas in Bahrain come alive with lights and a festive atmosphere, as Shia Muslims commemorate the birth of Imam Mohammed bin Hassan Al-Askari, known as Al-Mahdi.

Shia communities across Bahrain mark this special night with a combination of religious devotion and joyful celebrations. Streets are decorated; social and recreational activities are organized particularly for children and free food is distributed to express happiness and reverence for the blessed occasion. Celebrations are prominent in areas including Barbar, Sitra, Al-Ma’ameer, Nuwaidrat, Bani Jamra, and other villages, and similar festivities take place in Gulf regions such as Al-Ahsa and Qatif.

 “Gerga'oon” celebration began yesterday evening after Maghrib prayer and continued until around midnight. Everyone wears traditional clothing, for both children and adults. As the sun sets on the fifteenth night of Sha’ban, children gather in groups, roaming the streets with Gerga'oon bags hanging around their necks, chanting traditional songs and folk rhymes. They go door-to-door collecting nuts, sweets, money, and toys, highlighting the cultural and social heritage of the occasion. Adults, meanwhile, spend the night in matams and mosques, engaging in prayers, supplications, and religious gatherings.

One child expressed his excitement, saying, “I wait for Gerga'oon so I can get a lot of money,” reflecting the joy children experience from the abundance of treats, gifts, and games. In some villages, additional entertainment such as horse riding is organized, adding to the festive spirit of the night.

The mid-Sha’ban night remains, for Shia Muslims, an occasion that combines worship with celebration, reflecting hope and social solidarity.