Eid Al Fitr: UAE announces March 20 as start of festival
The sighting of the crescent marking the beginning of the month of Shawwal was not confirmed today. Hence, Eid Al Fitr will fall on Friday (March 20), the UAE's authorities confirmed.
According to the UAE official holidays, the first three days of Shawwal month in the Hijri calendar are official Eid Al Fitr holidays. Official dates for Eid Al Fitr in UAE, therefore, are March 20-22.
If Ramadan extends for 30 days, the last day of the holy month shall also be regarded as an official holiday. This means residents will have a four-day break from tomorrow (Thursday, March 19) until Sunday, March 22.
The announcement also implies that residents in the UAE will fast for one more day before the holy month comes to an end.
Earlier, the UAE-based International Astronomy Centre (IAC) had said seeing Shawwal crescent on March 18 was ‘impossible’ and hence Ramadan may complete 30 days. The centre had announced that Eid Al Fitr is expected to be on March 20 in UAE and other countries, according to astronomical calculations.
What about other countries?
Other countries also pre-announced Eid Al Fitr holidays this year. For instance, Qatar is having what might be the longest vacation among GCC states. The country declared a one-week holiday, beginning on Tuesday, March 17, and lasting until Monday, March 23.
Oman will also take five days off, Saudi Arabia four — just like the UAE.
Some countries calculate the start of Hijri months beforehand through astronomical calculations, not moon sightings. Two of these countries are Turkey and Singapore. Their calculations factor in the possibility that people may not be able to see the crescent moon on the first day of a new month.
Because the crescent could be seen on Thursday, Turkey announced that March 20 (Friday) is going to be the first day of Eid Al Fitr in this country. However, Singapore has announced that Saturday, March 21 will definitely be the first day of Eid because it was impossible to sight the crescent from Singapore on Thursday.
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