A gers gergean bag might be filled with chocolates, toffees, lollipops, salted nuts, dried figs, raisins, dried chickpeas and small biscuits — a wonderful jumble of sweet and salty, crunchy and chewy all mixed together. The mix varies from family to family and from year to year, but there are always plenty of different things to discover when you dip your hand in.
The children walk around their neighbourhood singing traditional gergean songs — cheerful, bouncy tunes with simple words that children have been singing for generations. When a door opens, the family inside fills the children's bags and the children sing a thank-you song before moving on to the next house. It feels a little like trick-or-treat but entirely focused on generosity and celebration.
Girls traditionally wear a thobe — a long, beautifully embroidered dress — and a colourful headdress decorated with coins and tassels. Boys wear a white dishdasha, the traditional long robe worn by men and boys in Kuwait. The clothes are often newly made especially for gergean, and children love choosing their fabrics and accessories beforehand.
The tradition is a way of marking the beginning of the Ramadan month as a community event that involves everyone, including children. The sharing of food and the singing connect the neighbourhood together. Families who receive children at the door feel the warmth of the community, and the children feel the excitement of dressing up, singing and collecting together.