Hala February

Each February since Kuwait's celebrated day of liberation, there is a series of festivals and events that are part of "Hala February," or, "Welcome/Hello February." This ranges from large arts' festival type events to having vacation days at school for the national and liberation holidays.

Each year, National Day is celebrated on February 25th, commemorating the day that Kuwait transitioned from being a British protectorate (thanks to World War I) to an independent country in 1961. Liberation Day is celebrated the following day, February 26th, when most Iraqi forces retreated from their occupation of Kuwait in 1991, although some sources say that the official day of liberation was the 28th. If you're too young to remember the "Persian Gulf War," do a little research on it. (Persian is in quotations because around here, the Gulf belongs to the Arabians.) I found it quite interesting to learn what America has said about it, and to be able to compare that with first-hand stories from a few Kuwaitis. Just fascinating...but then again, I like history!

In light of these events, February is a month for celebrating. Before the early days even arrive, festivals are held at shopping malls and parks to welcome the month. Throughout the 28 days, but most especially on the weekend that falls nearest to the 25th and 26th, exhibitions are held by locals; concerts, art exhibits, and craft shows can all be seen. In addition, people seem to be out more, cooking out and walking in parks and along the seaside. On National Day weekend, the public generally goes crazy. In the spirit of fun and celebration, people flock to the coast to gather for a time of pranks and merry-making. Many of the young adults and teenagers will run down the street with silly foam and spray people in their cars, while adults will dress up their small children in red, white, green, and black gear. The U.S. has nothing on these guys when it comes creating national clothing paraphernalia. All month long, extra decorations can be seen by hanging flags on the sides of buildings, weaving lights into hedges, and changing office/restaurant designs to patriotic logos and phrases. Kuwait has the money, and they go all out.

The pictures here are a few that I took during last February, so I will try to take some more this month and post them. We've seen some neat things so far!