The government has decided to add two more days to the Eid holidays that run after the holy month of Ramadan.
The president’s office released a statement on Tuesday stating that if June 25 (Sunday) is marked as the beginning of Shawwal – the month that follows Ramadan in the Islamic calendar, the government will extend the Eid holidays to June 28 and 29 (Wednesday and Thursday).
The statement also said that if June 25 is marked as the last day of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar, that day will not be declared a holiday. However, June 26 – 29 (Monday – Thursday) will be declared as public holidays on the occasion of Eid.
The last day of Ramadan will be decided by the Islamic Ministry, after observing the movements of the moon.
In the Islamic calendar, the beginning of each month is marked by the observance of a new moon seen for the first time. Since the visibility of the new moon depends on many factors such as the weather, the Islamic calendar is only an estimate of the future Islamic events.
According to the president’s office, the decision to extend the Eid holidays was made in order to give the public a longer holiday.
Eid is always celebrated vividly in Maldives, and many travel to different islands during this occasion – especially those living in Male.
The Eid holidays are due to end on Sunday, July 2.
Traditional activities that take place during Eid: Many locals travel to different islands on the occasion of Eid --
