Theculture ofBahrain is part of the historical region ofEastern Arabia. Thus, Bahrain's culture is similar to that of its Arab neighbours in thePersian Gulf region. Bahrain is known for itscosmopolitanism,Bahraini citizens are very ethnically diverse.^[1] Though the state religion is Islam, the country is tolerant towards other religions:Catholic andOrthodox churches,Hindu temples as well as a (now-defunct)Jewish synagogue are present on the island.^[2]

Bahraini people are ethnically diverse. There are at least 8–9 different ethnic groups of Bahraini citizens. Shia Bahraini citizens are divided into two main ethnic groups:Bahrani andAjam. Most Shia Bahrainis are ethnicBaharna, the Baharna being descendants of the original pre-Islamic inhabitants of Bahrain. The Baharna speak a variety of Arabic known asBahrani Arabic. The Ajam areethnic Persian Shias. They maintain a distinct culture and language, and they have greatly influenced the Bahraini culture.

Among Sunni Bahraini citizens, there are also many different ethnic groups. Sunni Bahrainis are mainly divided into two main ethnic groups: urban Arabs (al Arab) andHuwala. The urban Arabs are mostly descendants of Sunni Arabs from central Arabia who were (alongside the baharna) traditionally pearl-divers, merchants, sailors, traders and fishermen in the pre-oil era. The Huwala are descendants of Sunni Iranians; some of them are ethnic Persians,^[3][4] and others are ethnic Sunni Arabs.^[5][6]

In addition to these native Bahraini ethnic groups, there are also ethnicAfro-Arabs, andBalochis. Bahraini Balochis are descendants ofethnic Baloch from Baluchistan. Most Bahrainis of African origin come from east Africa and have traditionally lived in Muharraq island and Riffa.^[7] Indian Bahrainis are mostly descendants of wealthy Indian merchants from the pre-oil era, known as theBania. A smaller group of Sunni Bahraini citizens are descendants of naturalizedPalestinian refugees and other Levant Arab immigrants.

Just around half of the population are Arabs. Foreign-born inhabitants, comprising more than half of the population, are mostly fromIran,India,Pakistan,Philippines,Britain, and theUnited States. About three-fifths of the largely Asian labor force is foreign.^[8]

The population is mostlyMuslim and includes both theSunni andShia sects. Bahrain also has the largest Christian minority within theArab states of the Arabian Gulf. Thousand Christians holdBahraini citizenship, with the next closestGCC country,Kuwait, only having approximately 400 Christian citizens.Arabic is the official language of Bahrain, however, English is widely used as alingua franca. TheAjami dialect of Persian is widely spoken byPersian Bahraini citizensAjam. Many Bahrainis have a working knowledge not only of English butHindi andUrdu as well.

Football (soccer) is the most popular modern sport, while traditional pastimes such as horse riding, andgazelle andhare hunting are still practiced by wealthier Bahrainis.

Traditional handicraft industries enjoy state and popular support. TheBahrain National Museum inManama contains local artifacts dating from antiquity, such as ivory figurines, pottery, copper articles, and gold rings, many of which reflect various cultural influences from outside Bahrain. There is also a small but flourishing avant-garde art community.

The traditional Bahraini woman dress is anabaya, a long loose-fitting black gown, worn along with a black cloth on the head called thehijab.

Bahraini men's traditional dress is thethobe (ثوب) and the traditional headdress which includes thekeffiyeh,ghutra andagal.

Thethobe (or 'dishdasha' in Kuwaiti) is a loose, long-sleeved, ankle-length garment. Summer thobes are white and made of cotton and winter thobes are black and made of wool.

Theghutra is a square scarf, made of cotton, and is folded in a triangle and worn over the keffiyeh. In Bahrain, it is usually red and white checked or all white. There is no significance placed on which kind the man wears in Bahrain, although this selection has implications in other Persian Gulf countries.

Thekeffiyeh is a white knitted skull cap worn under theghutra.

Theagal is a thick, double, black cord that is worn on the top of theghutra to hold it in place.

In some occasions, Bahrainis wear abisht, which is a cloak made of wool, over thethobe. Unlike thethobe, thebisht is soft, and it is usually black, brown, or grey.

Garqee'an is a biannual celebration observed in Bahrain and rest ofEastern Arabia, that takes place on the 15th night of theIslamic month ofSha'ban and on the 15th night ofRamadan. It is marked with children dressing in traditional attire and going door-to-door to receivenuts andsweets from neighbours, whilst also singing traditional songs. The tradition has existed for hundreds of years and deeply rooted inGulf culture.^[9]

Although the celebration of Garqee'an shares superficial similarities with theHalloween custom oftrick-or-treating, practiced in some Western countries, it has no connection with horror and no associated origin with Halloween.^{[citation needed]}

Several weekly and daily papers are published inArabic:Akhbar Al Khaleej,Al Ayam,Al Waqt to name a few.Al-Wasat daily Arabic newspaper is thought to have become the country's most popular newspaper by 2011 with a daily circulation of 15,000^[10] and readership of 45,000^[11] to 60,000.^[12] A small number of newspapers appear inEnglish:Gulf Daily News,Daily Tribune. Most of the press is privately owned and is not subject to censorship as long as it refrains from criticizing theruling family. The state television and radio stations broadcast most programs in Arabic: there are channels in English andHindi (radio) as well. A new digital publishing company that has been gaining attention with tourists, expats, and young Bahraini residents isLocalBH with content ranging from tourist attractions, entertainment and up to date events in Bahrain.

Arts include readings of theQuran, ceremonial dances accompanied by flat drums, and storytelling. The poets of Bahrain are famous for their poetic verses and carry on established traditions while also exploring new themes. Births and marriages call for wide-scale celebrations in Bahrain. Apart from this, the people of Bahrain are also known for their artistic skills, the boats used for fishing and pearling being an example of this craftsmanship. The traditional jewelry also speaks volumes about the intricate designs that the people of Bahrain can come up with.

Khaleeji is a style of Arab folk music from the Persian Gulf area, played in Bahrain withpolyrhythms. The style is strongly influenced by the music ofAfrica. The Bahraini pearl diving tradition is known for the songs calledfidjeri.Fidjeri is a musical repertoire performed traditionally by male pearl divers of Bahrain. It involves singing, clapping, drums and dances with earthen water jars.Liwa is a type of music and dance performed mainly in communities which contain descendants ofEast Africans, such asMuharraq andHidd.

The music of Bahrain follows the traditional mode. It is elaborate and repetitive. It is played on theoud (an ancestor of thelute) and therebab (a one-stringed instrument). Bahrain also has a folk dance tradition. Theardha is a men's sword dance, which is accompanied by traditional drummers and a poet, who sings the lyrics.

A small number of feature films have been produced in the country; the first of which being the 1971Disney filmHamad and the Pirates, which features notable landmarks such as theBab Al Bahrain andMina Salman.^[13] This was followed in 1990 bydrama filmThe Barrier, directed byBassam Al-Thawadi. Cinemas have been popular establishments since the early 1920s when a makeshift movie theater was formed.

• Ashura
• Bahrain Independence Day
• Eid al-Fitr andEid al-Adha
• Prophet's birthday
• Ramadan

• Museums in Bahrain

On 1 September 2006, Bahrain changed its weekend from being Thursdays and Fridays to Fridays and Saturdays, in order to have a day of the weekend shared with the rest of the world. Notable holidays in the country are listed below:

• Culture of the Arab States of the Arabian Gulf

• Culture of Bahrain
• Arab culture
• Culture of the Middle East
• Culture of West Asia

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