Guides

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The UAE follows the Islamic Calendar as well as the Gregorian Calendar.

Most western expats use the Gregorian Calendar  (remember this ditty:  Thirty days have September, April, June and November; all the rest have 31, except February alone, which has 28 days clear, and 29 in a leap year).  

The calendar which is followed in Muslim countries is known as the Islamic Calendar, the Islamic Lunar Calendar or the Hijri Calendar and follows the lunar cycle.  The difference is in the number of days per cycle which is why according to the Gregorian calendar Ramadan changes every year. The lunar cycle is approximately 29.53 solar days.  Ramadan and the other religious occasions are calculated by astrologers.  The months and all religious dates are dependent on the sighting of the moon. So Ramadan is actually a named month in the Islamic Calendar.  The months are as noted below:

1. Muharram
2. Safar
3. Rabi’ al-awwal (Rabi’ I)
4. Rabi’ al-thani (Rabi’ II)
5. Jumada al-awwal (Jumada I)
6. Jumada al-thani (Jumada II)
7. Rajab
8. Sha’ban
9. Ramadan
10. Shawwal
11. Dhu al-Qi’dah
12. Dhu al-Hijjah

It has been announced that Breaking the Fast, Eid Al Fitr, is  28th July 2014 which is the first day of  Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic Calendar – 2014.  Confirmation of the date is given by the country’s astronomers on the sighting of the moon.

This year, 2014, the end of Ramadan will be  Sunday 27th July, although confirmation is dependent on the moon’s sighting.   Eid Al Fitr is a religious holiday from 28th July 2014 but because of the weekends falling close to the dates a long 9 day holiday is expected for the public sector from Sunday 27th July 2014, returning to work on Wednesday 3rd August. The private sector will enjoy a break from work on  the 28th and 29th July returning to work on Wednesday 30th July 2014.

The ninth month, Ramadan, is regarded as the time when the Quran (sometimes written Koran) was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH – Peace Be Upon Him).  We would be very interested to hear from anyone  who would like to provide more detail about Eid Al Fitr.

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