With Eid Al Fitr not long in the past but smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror, people across the UAE are wondering—when is our next break?
The good news is, Eid Al Adha is right around the corner, and that’s not all—there could be a six-day public holiday for the yearly occasion.
While the dates are subject to moon sighting, the first day Eid al Adha should begin July 20, a Tuesday, with Arafat Day falling the day before.
If that’s the case, the UAE would have from Monday to Saturday off, from July 19 to July 24.
Eid Al Adha, or “feast of sacrifice” is the second of the biggest Islamic holidays, and is also the holiday around which he annual Hajj to Mecca , Saudi Arabia is held.
If you want to look ahead even further, there will be three Eids in the year 2033, so mark your calendars and get your beach clothes ready.
How do we know?
Here’s how: The Islamic calendar and the Gregorian calendar don’t match up exactly as the Islamic calendar relies on the cycles of the moon. Because of that, the lunar month moves forward by about 10 to 11 days each year.
That’s why, in 2030, Ramadan will fall both in January and again in December.
Following each Ramadan is an Eid—so shouldn’t there be two Eid Al Fitrs in 2030 too? Not so fast.
Because 2030’s second Ramadan will begin in December, it won’t end until the end of the following January.
According to Alhabib.info, which tracks the Islamic (Hijri) Calendar and compares it to the Gregorian calendar, based on global crescent moon sighting probability, in the year 1454 to 1455 AH, which corresponds to 2033 CE, there will be three Eids that year.
Let’s break it down: First, Eid al-Fitr will begin on 1 Shawwal 1454 AH, which should be Monday, 03 January 2033.
Next, Eid Al-Adha should begin on 10 Dhul-Hijjah 1454 AH, corresponding likely with Friday, 11 March 2033.
Then Ramadan will begin again at the end of November, likely 23 November 2033, a Wednesday.
That would mean 2033’s second Eid al-Fitr, 1 Shawwal 1455 AH, will likely begin Friday, 23 December 2033.
There you go. Three Eids in 2033.
And not only that—that means that Eid will coincide with Christmas.
This is all, of course, subject to the lunar cycles, which won’t be official until they are declared the night before, so don’t book your holidays just yet.
Esquire now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Esquire Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @esquiremiddleeast Instagram and Twitter account.
