A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tradition of cultural or religious significance. Holidays may be designated by governments, religious institutions, or other groups or organizations. The degree to which normal activities are reduced by a holiday may depend on local laws, customs, the type of job held or personal choices.
Eid al-Fitr is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting (ṣawm). This religious Eid is the first and only day in the month of Shawwal during which Muslims are not permitted to fast. The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The day of Eid, therefore, falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal. The date for the start of any lunar Hijri month varies based on when the new moon is sighted by local religious authorities, so the exact day of celebration varies by locality.
Eid al-Adha, also called the "Festival of Sacrifice", is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year, and considered the holier of the two. It honors the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God's command. But, before Abraham could sacrifice his son, God provided a lamb to sacrifice instead. In commemoration of this, an animal is sacrificed and divided into three parts: one part of the share is given to the poor and needy; second part is for the home, third is given to relatives.
The schedule of public holidays in the United States is largely influenced by the schedule of federal holidays but is controlled by private sector employers who employ 62% of the total US population with paid time off. A typical work week has historically been 40 hours a week with a Saturday–Sunday weekend, although many professionals are currently expected to work 50 hours a week for fixed salary.
India, being a culturally diverse and fervent society, celebrates various holidays and festivals. There are many national holidays in India: Republic Day on 26 January, International Workers' Day on 1 May, Independence Day on 15 August and Mahatma Gandhi's birthday on 2 October.
Bangladesh has numerous public holidays, including national memorial, religious and secular holidays of Bengali origin. The Bengali traditional calendar, known as Banggabda is the national and official calendar in Bangladesh. The holidays are celebrated according to Bengali, Islamic or Gregorian calendars for religious and civil purposes, respectively. Religious festivals like Eid are celebrated according to the Islamic calendar whereas other national holidays are celebrated according to the Bengali and Gregorian calendar. While the Islamic calendar is based on the movement of the moon, it loses synchronization with the seasons, through seasonal drift. Therefore, some public holidays are subject to change every year based on the lunar calendar.
Pakistan holidays are celebrated according to the Islamic or Gregorian calendars for religious and civil purposes, respectively. Religious festivals like Eid are celebrated according to the Islamic calendar whereas other national holidays like international labour day, Pakistan day, and Quaid-i-Azam Day are celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar. February 27: surprise day.
The Netherlands has the second lowest number of public holidays in the world. The holidays in the Netherlands are:
There are twelve observed New York State holidays for state employees. Under the Attendance Rules, a holiday that falls on a Sunday is observed on the following Monday. Lincoln's Birthday and Election Day are deemed floating holidays and can optionally be observed on a later date. A holiday is observed by employees scheduled to work that day; it is not available as a regular or floating holiday for other employees.
Eid Mubarak or is an Arabic term that means “happy holiday”. The term is used by Arab Christians and Arab Muslims, as well as Muslims all over the world. Internationally Muslims use it as a greeting for use on the festivals of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. Eid means "celebration", and Mubarak means "blessings". In the social sense, people usually celebrate Eid al-Fitr after Ramadan and Eid-al-Adha in the month of Dhul Haj. Some state that this exchange of greetings is a cultural tradition and not part of any religious obligation.
Lists of holidays by various categorization.
Public holidays in Turkmenistan fall into three main categories: (a) holidays commemorating historical events and landmarks since the declaration of Turkmenistan's independence in 1991 ; (b) traditional and religious holidays revived since independence ; and (c) new holidays introduced to honor and reinforce cultural traditions of the Turkmen people.
Daniel "Danny" Dromm is the Council member for the 25th District of the New York City Council. He is a Democrat. The district includes East Elmhurst, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights in Queens.
Punjabi festivals are various festive celebrations observed by Punjabis in Pakistan, India and the diaspora Punjabi community found worldwide. The Punjabis area diverse group of people from different religious background that affects the festivals they observe. According to a 2007 estimate, the total population of Punjabi Muslims is about 90 million, with 97% of Punjabis who live in Pakistan following Islam, in contrast to the remaining 30 million Punjabi Sikhs and Punjabi Hindus who predominantly live in India.
Eid in the Square is an annual Muslim festival held the first Saturday after the Islamic religious holiday of Eid al-Fitr at Trafalgar Square in Westminster, London, England. The event has grown to become one of the key cultural highlights of London's events calendar and sees attendances of over 25,000.
Shujaat Khan is a Bangladeshi engineer, and activist. He is most notable for his work on recognizing Muslim school holidays in New York City.
This page is a timeline for when various municipalities, universities, and states in the United States have officially recognized Indigenous Peoples' Day.
Muslims form the majority religious community in Pakistan. Punjabi Muslims celebrate a number of religious and cultural festivals:
