Out and About in Dubai

Hurray, I get DB to myself for 3 whole days! He normally gets Fridays and Saturdays off but due to the Islamic New Year the private sector received Thursday off as well.

Some tidbits about Al-Hijra:

Al-Hijra, the Islamic New Year, is celebrated on the first day of Muharram, the month in which Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE (the Hijra). The holiday is also known simply as Muharram. Islamic years are calculated from 1 Muharram, 622 CE. They are followed by the suffix AH, which stands for “After Hijira” or Anno Higirae (Latin).

In 2008, Al-Hijra falls on January 9, which will be 1429 AH. (In case you were wondering, the Chinese will celebrate the year 4706 on Feb 7, 2008 - the year of the Rat.)

Unlike the important holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, there are few rituals associated with Islamic New Year. There are no prescribed religious observances. (And no fireworks…) Most Muslims regard the day as a time for reflection on the Hijira and on the year to come. In modern times, some Muslism exchange greeting cards to celebrate the holiday.

So there you have it. Happy Islamic New Year!

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