Eid Al Adha 2018 holiday for UAE's private sector announced

Private sector employees will have three days off mid-week for Eid Al Adha this year.

The holiday begins on Monday, August 20, and ends on Wednesday, August 22, with employees returning to work on Thursday, August 23.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation announced the holiday along with Eid greetings to the UAE's Rulers and residents on Tuesday.

On Saturday, the Federal Authority For Government Human Resources said the public sector would have a week off for Eid Al Adha.

Eid Al Adha is a time when families and friends come together to celebrate, usually over a meal.

It is customary for a family to have a goat or sheep butchered at an abattoir and share the meat between themselves, their relatives and the underprivileged.

This tradition is shared in the Quran, which tells of how God asked prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as a test of his faith. As Ibrahim prepared to submit to God's will, the devil tried to dissuade him and threw rocks at him. This is an act repeated by pilgrims at Hajj who throw stones at symbolic pillars.

Just before Ibrahim carried out God's command, God replaced his son with a goat. Now Muslims celebrate Eid by feasting on a goat.

The National