festivals of dubai

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Christmas in Dubai

The Christmas Eve is celebrated as an invigorating festival all over the world. Though Dubai has its own local and famous festivals, but Christmas is still celebrated with great zeal here by Christians who have moved to Dubai. The entire emirate itself shows the joy of this eventful day on the eve of 24^th December when Jesus was born. Dubai leaves no edge in rejoicing this wonderful gala eve. The Christmas trees are imported and special events are organized at almost all venues available in Dubai.

Hotels Reveal the Passion for Christmas:

The hotels organize lovely parties by putting in extra effort to decorate the venues, prepare of all delicacies and sometimes even shipping the Christmas tree from Europe. Renowned singers are invited to sing Christmas Carols.

Malls Celebrations:

As the emirate takes pride in being the hub of expats from all over the world, the malls or the shopping centers also enter into the expats’ shoes and leave no stone unturned to display the finest way of celebrations in their showrooms. The festival also brings along several festive discounts for the buyers.

Church Celebrations:

There are several churches in Dubai which perform morning and evening prayers and have fixed schedules but St.Frances of Assisi Church at Jabel Ali invites everyone to attend the mass prayers on the Christmas Eve. The church also offers lunch for the poor on this day.

Food on Christmas:

In Middle East, people visit friends in the morning and they are served liqueurs, coffee and sugared almonds. The Lunch consists of Kubbeh, a dish made of burgul or crushed boiled wheat mixed with meat, salt pepper and onion accompanied with chicken and rice.

Christmas is not a Muslim practice but this is hardly evident on this thrilling eve. The expatriates, whether the rich or the poor, are busy in spawning the best feelings in each others hearts forgetting the grudges of life. The ones who are away from their families are surely missing them on this special eve but Dubai tries to elate them with the ‘feel at home’ kind of aura all through.

Friday, January 2, 2009

UAE Festivals

UAE offers a rich cultural blend of Islamic, traditional Arab and contemporary elements. The Ministry of Information and Culture in the UAE supports the cultural activities of the country. With the booming economy in UAE, Dubai has contributed immensely. Real estate Dubai sector has contributed the maximum to it, which in turn has attracted a huge number of expatriates from all over the globe. UAE has deep rooted culture but, it has shown great tolerance to imbibe culture and traditions of foreigners living there. There are 11 public libraries throughout the seven emirates of the country. In addition to this there are a total of 30 cultural groups which celebrate every festival and occasion with great pomp and show. This country supports a rich cultural heritage including the celebration of all local festivals. People living in the UAE are very versatile and as far as the celebrations are concerned, they celebrate festivals and events all round the year. In fact if we talk about the UAE culture, festivals form an integral part of it. The annual calendar of this country is filled with many festivals and events which are celebrated vivaciously all through the UAE. Some of the most famous festivals in the calendar are:

· Eid Al Fitr
· Ramadan
· National Day Festival
· Eid Al Adha

However, Eid Al Fitr is one of the most important festivals of Muslims all over the world and so is the case in the UAE. This festival is celebrated as a mark of the end of Ramadan which is their holy month. The festival of Eid Al Fitr is celebrated for over three days in the UAE and for them it’s the time of feasting and exchange of gifts forms an integral part of the festival. The aroma of this lavish three day feast spreads across the entire country and there are humming of prayers in every street during this holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is actually a month in which the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. As per the Islamic calendar this is the ninth month of the calendar. During this complete month Muslims don’t eat and drink from true dawn until sunset. As per Islam, Ramadan is the fasting month. After the end of this fasting month of self discipline and sacrifice, it all ends up with the sight of a hemispherical moon.

During Eid Al Fitr, the Muslims of entire country foresee this day and celebrate this day making an end to their fasting month, Ramadan. People spiritually celebrate this day of Eid Al Fitr building closer ties and strengthening bonds with their families and friends. Those who are not involved in the celebrations take the advantage of long cheap holidays from their hectic work schedules. During this day the roads from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi to Dubai are all jam packed with travelers traveling for Eid. This festival is also celebrated in Ras Al Khaimah which is another emirate of the country; however, it is celebrated in their way. Eid Al Fitr in Ras Al Khaimah is celebrated at the only public park in the emirate known as the Saqr Public Park.
Moreover, if we talk about this festival, then the sightseeing of the moon and the exact date of the festival varies from one country to another. The festival that ends the auspicious fasting month of Muslims is wished by telling Eid Mubarak to the followers. Moreover, the same greeting is being given in some other languages and traditions. Muslims seek this day as of great importance to them and they are expected to dress in their best clothes and wake up early in the morning and attend a small Eid prayer in their nearby mosques or it can either be done in some open areas. They enchant a specific prayer at the end of the day when they finish their last day of fast. The prayer says:

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar,
La ilaha illa Allah
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar
Wa li-illahi al-hamd

There is a specific meaning to this prayer and the ultimate translation of the prayer is that God is the Greatest and to God goes all praise. Before the prayer of Eid Al Fitr starts every Muslim who can must pay Zakat al-fitr, the alms for the month of fasting. The Zakat al-fitr includes basic 2 Kg of foodstuff containing: wheat, barley, raisins and dates etc. If you don’t want to give this, then its cash equivalent is equally acceptable and is to be given at the mosque which is then distributed among the local Muslims that have come to attend the Eid prayer. Generally, it can be given at any time during the complete month of Ramadan but ideally, it should be given early so that people can use it for this festival.

This day of happiness and festivity is celebrated all throughout the UAE however; every emirate may follow a different tradition of celebrating Eid Al Fitr. Dubai is said to be one of the prime destinations in the UAE where this festival is celebrated vivaciously. This emirate has a very unique way of celebrating Eid. Even the government of Dubai actively participates in highlighting and presenting some of the comprehensive festive program which attracts from people all over the emirate to celebrate this festival. All real estate Dubai locations re stunningly decorated.
Eid in Dubai is sponsored by many brand names. Emirate and Dubai World Trade Center, ARY jewelry and Dubai Festival city are some of the prime sponsors of this festival in the emirate. Dubai shopping malls group that is (DSMG) also gets involved in it. The events organized turn the entire day into a complete package for fun and entertainment. The event includes:

International concerts, Barney’s musical castle show, festival district at Dubai festival city, Eid fireworks, and Children theatrical plays and last but not the least Eid promotions. Eid shopping is another tradition for families to rush to the souks and buy themselves something new. A Fuwallat-Al-Eid that is the Eid confectionary platter is served to the guests with special food and sweets. Similarly the fireworks are the hallmark of any good and auspicious occasion thus, in Dubai the sky is lightened up by vibrant colors revealing the true spirit of this festival. Thus, it shows the importance of the day and how the festival of Eid-Al Fitr is celebrated in the UAE and in other parts of the country.