UAE Holidays 2013
Many major Islamic festivals are being celebrated during public holidays in the United Arab Emirates. People might be surprised to learn that they celebrate New Year’s Day in addition to their traditional Islamic festivals every year. The reason for this is due to the UAE being an international trade hub where the rest of the world frequently come to do business.
The government sector applied 5 work days for their workers since 1998. Whereas the private sector are allowed to choose their own holidays and work days according to their particular work load. In the public sector workers are given off every Friday and Saturday. But the private sector workers may very well have to work during these days, depending on the type of employment contract they agreed upon.
List of UAE Holidays During 2013
The following holidays are being observed in the United Arab Emirates.
International New Year’s Day – Tuesday, 1 Jan 2013
Milad un Nabi (Birthday of Muhammad) – Thursday, 24 Jan 2013
Lailat al Miraj (Ascension of the Prophet) – Tuesday 4 June 2013
Start of Ramadan (1st Day of Ramadan) – Tuesday, 9 July 2013
Eid-al-Fitr (End of Ramadan Fasting) – 3 Days of public holidays are granted, Thursday, 8 Aug 2013, Friday, 9 Aug 2013, and Saturday, 10 Aug 2013
Arafat (Haj) Day (Final day of the Haji) – Monday, 14 Oct 2013
Eid-al-Adha (Feast of sacrifice in Islamic tradition) – 3 public holiday are granted – Tuesday, 15 Oct 2013, Wednesday, 16 Oct 2013, Thursday, 17 Oct 2013
Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year) – Monday, 4 Nov 2013
UAE National Day (The UAE’s indepence from Britain) – Monday, 2 December 2013
Traditions and Practices Among The Arabs
The Arabic Muslim community have various practices and traditions they adhere to. It is a requirement for Muslims who can afford it to sacrifice their best domestic animals during Eid. They would normally make use of a cow, but often times a sheep, goat, or camel would suffice. The sacrifice has a symbolic meaning in honor of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son.
The animals being sacrificed have to meet a certain age as well as certain standards or else the specific animal will be regarded as unacceptable. It is crazy to think that in Pakistan alone there are over 10 million animals being slaughtered during Eid, which costs just over 3 billion US dollars.
Once slaughtered, the sacrificed animal gets divided into three parts. The various parts gets shared out as follow: One third goes to the family; then another third is given to friends, relatives as well as neighbors; and the last part goes to the poor and needy.
One thing is for sure. No impoverished person is left without the opportunity to take part in the sacrificial meal during Eid al-Adha.
Interesting Facts About Public Holidays UAE
The dates for the various UAE public holidays are in line with sightings of various phases of the moon. This can be seen during the month of Ramadan as the Muslims would fast during the day and feast at night time. This is when various business interruptions take place on a regular basis. These disruptions may even continue into Eid al-Fitr. It is good to note that all government departments and even some businesses close for at least 14 days during Hajj. This might be the best time to come and visit the United Arab Emirates.
