The moon sighting will determine if we have four days off or five…

Eid Al Fitr is coming up this weekend and as with every religious holiday, the actual date depends on the sighting of a crescent moon. The Moon sighting committee is set to meet on Friday May 22 to make its announcement, however an astronomer has already made a prediction.

Eid is the first day of the Shawwal month, and will either fall on Saturday May 23 or Sunday May 24. The government has already said that holidays will last until Shawwal 3 meaning this will either fall on Monday May 25 or Tuesday May 26.

It’s good news though, as astronomer Ebrahim Al Jarwan, General Supervisor at Sharjah Planetarium predicts Eid will fall on Sunday May 24, giving five days off (if you normally have Friday and Saturday off).

According to Gulf News Al Jarwan said: “The new moon for the month of Shawwal 1441 hijri will be on May 22 after sunset but it will not be visible to the naked eye, so according to my calculations, we will be able to see the new moon in the UAE on Saturday May 23″.

We won’t know for sure until the moon sighting committee meets after maghrib prayers on Friday night. Eid Al Fitr is known as a joyous holiday where muslims around the world enjoy a large feast.

The UAE government has warned against large gatherings during this time, so citizens and residents are encouraged to enjoy their celebrations virtually rather than face to face.