Occasions
Many popular songs, dances and celebrations that were present before the discovery of oil in Kuwait disappeared completely after the oil discovery took place in Kuwaiti life. This corresponded to the disappearance of certain professions such as pearl diving, business travel through the sea and shipbuilding. In the past, religious occasions provided an opportunity for people to celebrate. At the present time, these occasions have not lost their importance but the way of celebrating them has changed slightly. Undoubtedly, religious occasions such as the Lesser Bairam or Small Feast, which comes after Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, and the Greater Bairam or Big Feast, which comes on the tenth day of Dhul-Hejja, are still kept as important religious holidays and people reverently await them. The celebrations of these occasions last for three or four days.

As in the past, on the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth nights of Ramadan, children wander through the neighborhood in groups. They keep singing and praying to Allah to protect the children of the houses they visit. The mothers give them candies and nuts in a celebration called “Al-Qarqiaan”.

On religious holidays, stores and institutions close their doors. Families and friends exchange visits to congratulate each other and have soft drinks. In addition, there are other religious occasions on which people have a one-day vacation such as Al-Mawled Al-Nabawy (the Prophet Muhammad's birthday), Al-Israa Wa Al-Mearaj (the Night of Muhammad's Ascension) and the New Hejri Year. There are also other holidays according to the Christian calendar. For example, Kuwaitis celebrate New Year on the first of January, National Day on February 25, to celebrate Kuwait’s independence in 1961, and February 26 on which date Kuwait was liberated from the oppressive Iraqi occupation.