Eid Al Adha Holiday Announcement

According to The Amiri Diwan, the Eid Al Adha holiday for government agencies will begin on July 30 until August 6, 2020. Meanwhile, for private companies, the announcement will come from their respective management.

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Eid Al Adha marks the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca. It commemorates the sacrifice of the Prophet Abraham.

 

Hajji Pilgrimage

Eid Celebration During Pandemic

This year, Eid Al Adha will be observed starting July 30. The public holiday for government offices is from July 30 until August 6, according to The Amiri Diwan. Work resumes on August 9 for the government agencies and other public institutions.

Private companies will announce their holiday schedule. Meanwhile, the Governor of Central Bank is set to announce the holiday schedule for banks and other financial institutions.

Muslims celebrate Eid Al Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, all over the world. At this time, they also travel to Mecca as part of their pilgrimage. They also offer an animal as sacrifice, which is also in observance of the animal that was sacrificed in place of the Prophet Abraham’s son.

As part of the tradition, Muslim families purchase an animal for their offering. Usually, goats, sheep, and cows are offered. During this time, people also give money or provide meals to the poorer members of the community. Giving alms to others in the community is also another form of sacrifice for the Muslims.

To celebrate Eid Al Adha, the people take a bath, wear clean clothes, and offer prayers. They also visit or call family members. Meals are also shared with their families.

However, Eid celebrations for this year will be a bit different, following the guidelines set to combat the pandemic. More mosques will be reopened for prayers starting July 28, 2020, as part of the third phase of the lifting of quarantine restriction. The list of mosques can be viewed here.

Those who will pray at the mosques are still required to follow health protocols. Specifically, the Ministry of Public Health states these guidelines: maintain physical distancing, use of their own prayer mats and Quran, and elderly, children and the sick should pray at home.

Here is the post from the Ministry:

Mosques
Photo Credit: Ministry of Public Health Facebook

While the social gathering is allowed, the number of people who gather are also limited. they must also observe social distancing and wear a face mask. Not everyone is encouraged to go out, especially the sick, elderly, and pregnant women.

Read the guidelines here:

Social Gathering
Photo Credit: Ministry of Public Health Facebook

Meanwhile, for those who plan to purchase meat, the health officials advise that the elderly or those who are sick remain at home. For the able-bodied members of the family, going to the slaughterhouse is also not advised. Instead, they could ask their purchase to be delivered. They should also choose licensed slaughterhouses.

Here is the message from the Ministry of Public Health:

Meat Purchase
Photo Credit: Ministry of Public Health Facebook

While the circumstances are different this year, the Eid Al Adha celebration can still be done. However, it is still important to observe the health guidelines to contain the outbreak.

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