Rabat – Eid Al Fitr is expected to fall on May 2 in the United Arab Emirates, the Emirates Astronomical Society (EAS) announced on Monday.
According to EAS Board Chairman Ibrahim Al Jarwan, the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar, is forecast to fall on May 2.
Al Jarwan also correctly predicted that Ramadan would begin on Saturday, April 2 prior to the start of the holy month.
He also stated that Ramadan 2022, corresponding to Ramadan 1433 AH, will last 30 full days.
If Eid Al Fitr were to take place on Monday, May 2, people living in the Emirates would have a five-day Eid holiday. UAE grants its citizens a three-day holiday for Eid Al Fitr, meaning that they will be off work from Saturday, April 30, and return to work on Thursday, May 5.
Also known as the “Lesser Eid”, Eid Al Fitr is the first day of Shawwal and the end of the holy month of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar.
Muslims around the world fast from dawn till dusk for around 30 days during the holy month, depending on the sighting of the moon.
Eid Al Fitr, which literally translates to “festival of breaking the fast”, marks the end of fasting. It is the first opportunity for Muslims to eat during daylight hours.
Because it is based on the lunar cycle, Eid Al Fitr falls on different dates each year in the Gregorian calendar.
On the first day of Eid Al Fitr, Muslims all around the world gather for communal prayer at daybreak, after cleansing themselves and wearing new clothes. They celebrate Eid for three days after that.
The Emirati moon-sighting committee will confirm the official Eid Al Fitr date by the end of Ramadan, after sighting the Shawwal crescent moon.
Read also: Astronomy Forecast: Morocco To Celebrate Eid Al Fitr on May 2
