Several people are welcoming the holy month of Ramadan by decorating their homes with simple and minimalistic decoration by following their local traditions and trends.
Decoration
The holy month does not stand as a celebration but as a time of religious and spiritual reflection, so simple decor aligns with the spirit of minimalism. However, those who do wish to decorate their homes in the spirit of Ramadan use stars, crescents, lights and lanterns. The crescent has long been associated with Islam as its symbol.
Dar Al Salam Mall has installed a special stall of lanterns and decoration items with payers engraved on them. A big steel lantern comes for QR500, while a coloured one is available for QR550. Medium and small lanterns sell for QR60 and QR30.
A salesman told The Peninsula: “Yesterday, I received more than 35 orders, which included big and small lanterns. Most of the local people have come in with huge orders. They gift lanterns during Ramadan to all their family members and friends.”
Traditional Dishes
Among the most famous dishes that locals eat is Al-Harees, which is an essential fare on their table during Ramadan. It consists of mashed wheat mixed with meat, clarified butter and ground cinnamon.
Another essential item on the menu during Ramadan is Ath-Thareed, which consists of tiny pieces of bread with gravy poured over it.
Muglat Harees Al Waldah located on Salwa Road has a variety of Harees. A salesman at Harees Al Waldah said: “Our beef harees is the best-seller during Ramadan and people order more than 5 kilogrammes. A plate of 550gm sells for QR20 and 1.5kg for QR50, Madrooba (chicken Harees) small plate comes for QR40 and a big plate for QR40. Thareed is available for QR25.”
In addition to Al-Harees and Ath-Thareed, Al-Majboos is also considered one of the most popular traditional dishes, which is always found on the tables during Ramadan.
There are many types of Qatari sweets served during Ramadan. They include Al-Muhallabiyyah, which consists of rice and milk topped with saffron and cardamom. They also eat Al-Madhroobah and Al-Luqaymaat (sweet dumplings), which is similar to Luqmatul-Qaadhi or Al-‘Awwaamah.
Immediately after the Taraaweeh prayer, the men meet together for the midnight meal called Al-Ghibqah during which special dishes are served. Al-Mehammar, a dish of fried fish and rice cooked with sugar, is popular in addition to Al-Hareesah and Al-Madhroobah.