Here’s What We Know So Far About the Islamic New Year Public Holiday

You’re probably all wondering – is there a long weekend happening this week? While the official Islamic New Year holiday has still yet to be confirmed, here’s a rundown of what we know so far:

• It was recently announced that there will be a paid holiday for the public and private sector to mark the Islamic New Year.
• The date for the Islamic New Year holiday will be on the first day of Muharram (also referred to as Al-Hijra), the first month of the Islamic calendar.
• The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, which means Muharram moves each year. That’s why the day has still yet to be confirmed.
• Officials are waiting on the moon sighting to determine which day the Islamic New Year will fall on.
• It is likely that the first day of the Islamic New Year will either fall on Thursday 21st September or Friday 22nd September.

We’ll keep you updated once the date has been confirmed, which will most likely be announced on Wednesday.