In case you felt that the Eid Al Fitr weekend wasn’t long enough, we have some exciting news for you.
The next public holiday in the UAE will be on Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice, and it’s expected to be a whopping six days.
Eid Al Adha is one among two major Islamic festivals celebrated worldwide. Eid Al Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the last month in the Islamic Lunar calendar.
Eid Al Adha 2023 holidays
According to the UAE’s public holidays list, Eid Al Adha 2023 holidays will be from Dhu al-Hijjah 9 to 12 on the Islamic calendar. Arafah Day, which is observed one day before Eid, could be on Tuesday, June 27, according to Al Jarwan, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomical Society.
Arafah Day is directly followed by Eid al-Adha. It falls on Dhul Hijjah 10 to 12. Dates are subject to the legitimate sighting of the moon. But based on astronomical calculations, this would likely be from Wednesday, June 28 to 30.
So, there will be four consecutive public holidays at the end of June: from Tuesday 27 to Friday 30. Additionally, it leaves the door open to a six-day break if you factor in the weekend of July 1 to 2, which is perfect for that much-needed getaway.
That’s not all! If you are ready to take one of your annual days off on Monday, June 26th, and if you count the weekend ahead of it, you can get nine days of break from Saturday, June 25 and return to work on Monday, July 3.
What is Eid Al Adha?
Eid Al Adha, or the “Feast of Sacrifice” is celebrated to mark the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to Allah’s command. At the very time of sacrifice, Allah replaced Ismail with a ram, which was to slaughtered in place of his son.
On Eid Al Adha, Muslims performs the act of slaughtering an animal (Qurbani) as a sacrifice to mark this occasion in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice for his creator.
The commemoration of Adha, which is Arabic for sacrifice, occurs on the final of the Hajj pilgrimage, the fifth pillar of Islam.
The accuracy of the days is based on the phases of the moon, and will be confirmed by the moon sighting committee.
UAE public holidays in 2023: List in full
- New Year’s Day, January 1
- Eid al-Fitr: April 20, 21, 22 and 23
- Arafat Day: June 27
- Eid al-Adha: June 28, 29, 30
- Islamic New Year: July 19
- The Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday: September 27
- Commemoration Day: December 1
- National Day: December 2, 3
Looking for staycation ideas over the Eid Al Adha 2023 holidays? Read here.
