With Eid al Adha approaching in just a few weeks, we thought this would be a great time to learn Arabic vocabulary for holidays. In addition, we’re going to give you a few greetings that you can learn to wish your friends who are celebrating happy holidays in Arabic.
In most Arabic speaking countries, there are two major holidays: Eid al Fitr (عيد الفطر) and Eid Al Adha (عيد الأضحى).
Firstly, Eid al Fitr (عيد الفطر) is the holiday in Middle East celebrating the breaking of the fast of Ramadan. It usually starts with Muslims going to the (مسجد) masjid (mosque) and praying special Eid prayers. This is generally followed by shopping, visiting family and friends wearing new clothes and sweet perfumes, eating traditional sweet dishes, feasting, and gift-giving.
Secondly, Eid Al Adha (عيد الأضحى) the “Festival of the Sacrifice”, is the second of the two Islamic holidays celebrated each year worldwide. It is also considered the holier of the two Eid holidays. It is a solemn tribute to the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son in obedience to God’s command. The holidays usually include Eid prayers, animal sacrifice (usually sheep, but sometimes camels), giving of (insert Arabic here) Zakat (charity), social gatherings, festive meals, and gift-giving.
Of course, most Arabic speaking countries have different religious and secular Eid holidays and may include:
| Arabic | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| المولد النبوي | almawlid innabawee | Prophet Muhammad’s birthday |
| السنة الهجرية | alsana ilhijriyah | Islamic New Year |
| الكريسماس | alkrismas | Christmas |
| عيد العمال | ‘eed il’umaal | Labour Day |
| يوم راس السنة | yawm ras ilsanah | New Year’s Day |
| عيد الأم | ‘eed il’um | Mother’s Day |
| عيد ميلاد | ‘eed meelad | Birthday |
| عيد الإستقلال | ‘eed ilistiklaal | Independence Day |
| شم النسيم | sham ilnaseem | Easter |
| عيد الأب | ‘eed il’ab | Father’s Day |
| الهالوين | alhaluween | Halloween |
| عيد الطفل | ‘eed ittifl | Children’s Day |
| عيد الحب | ‘eed ilhub | Valentine’s Day |
So now that you know some of the holidays, here are some common greetings to wish your friends happy holidays in Arabic during the Eid holidays:
Whether it’s a holiday or any other day, kaleela.com wishes you the best in your Arabic language learning journey.
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