BurpusMe

Unfortunately Emirates doesn't permit customers to book according to the Islamic calendar, so I'm having difficulty booking something for Eid break!

Does anyone have half a clue if/when we're getting a holiday this year? (According to the Gregorian calendar, PLS!)

Jim Smith

10th Sept 1st day?

NorthernLad

We are off from Thursday 9th, return to work Monday 13th. That should be for all of Tecom.

BurpusMe

I've read a lot of contradicting dates.

But if Tecom are committed to 9-12 as holidays, I suspect may others will do the same.

Any others with the same dates as NL?

Roadking

Off 9th return 14th 'ceptin I'm taking a few days off so I'm really returning 19th.

csdf

Forgive my ignorance, but if the start if Eid al Fitr is heralded by the appearance of the new moon, and given that the lunar cycle is precisely 28 days, why is the start of Eid al Fitr still unclear when we know exactly when Ramadan started?

GolfGardener

Because the lunar cycle isn't exactly 28 days: it's 29.53 days. You could still possible to calculate scientifically on which day the new moon should first appear, but unless the moonsighting committee actually see the thing, it doesn't count as a new month.

BurpusMe's post does point out a pretty fundamental flaw in the system which I hadn't considered though...

csdf

Ah, OK. So even though everyone knows (to the nearest second) when the new moon is, unless it's actually sighted then it doesn't count? Strange, when you think that the Arabs contributed so much to astronomy in the first place.

Oyibopeppeh

Just out of interest....does Islam accept that the moon orbits the earth which orbits the sun?

If so, they may have the up on Christianity in that respect