Maldivians
have great national pride. In all festival
planning, a feeling of family is sensed as women,
men, and children share in the preparation of food,
decoration, and entertainment programmes. Most celebrations
will find a blending of tradition and modern entertainment.
Folk dances and music using wooden instruments may
be followed by modern jazz or pop music. People from
all professions work side by side in a spirit of co-operation
for these celebrations.
Many public holidays in the Maldives
do not go according to calendar dates but are governed
by the phases of the moon, thus the dates mentioned
below are meant when the festivals most often fall.
1st
January: New Year
Eid
Fithr
Hajj
Al-Azhaa
Eid
Islamic New Year
15 & 16 January: National Day
Prophet Mohammed’s birthday
26th July: Independence Day
September:
Huravee Day
November: Victory
Day
November: Martyr’s Day
11th November: Republic Day
12th November: Republic Day (extra day)
Ramazan
Christmas |
Ramadhan
is the ninth month in the Muslim calendar, a month
during which moslems mark 30 days of fasting. The
working hours are altered for the month, the government
offices are opened from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
When
the new moon is sighted, which is usually announced
by a canon in Malé
and via television, Kuda Eid or Fithru
Eid, is celebrated, marking the end of Ramadan,
the Muslim fasting season.
The
day starts with a prayer and is followed by a special
lunch to which all the relatives and friends are invited.
Offerings in the form of money or food are given in
charity to the needy, and people buy new clothes to
wear for the Eid celebrations. The main streets of
Male’
are filled in the afternoon with people who come out
to witness the colorful bands and route marches. The
celebrations in the rural islands are quite different
with traditional sports like mandi, boduberu (traditional
drum music) etc are played by the people. Everybody
is greeted with “Eid Mubarik” (Eid Greetings!)
and cards are given to relatives and friends.
As
with all muslims, Maldivians celebrate the Prophet's
birthday. The Prophet's birthday is the 12th day of
Rabee-ul Awwal in the Islamic Calendar. Families invite
one another to their homes to share the special dishes
prepared for the day.
Azhaa
Eid is celebrated after the completion of the
annual Haj
pilgrimage during which many people go on pilgrimage
to the Holy City of Makkah in Saudi Arabia, a must
for every Muslim once in his/her lifetime if he/she
can afford it financially and physically too. Relatives
of people go to the airport to see their relatives
off or to welcome them back from the journey. This
festival
is actually a festival
of sacrifice, whereby animals are sacrificed to remember
the historical incident when the patriarch prophet
Ibrahim (Abraham) was ordered by God Almighty to sacrifice
his son prophet Ismail.
Special
prayers, feasts and Eid games are held during Bodu
Eid and on some islands people are splashed with water,
and during this holiday many people visit other islands
to enjoy the festivities.
Independence
Day is celebrated on the 26th July. The highlight
of the day is the official celebrations held in the
evening at the Republic Square. The event begins with
a march past by the National
Security Service and the National cadet corps.
This is followed by drills, traditional dances and
modern drills performed by hundreds of school children
in colorful attire. These events are interceded by
the passing of floats and processions depicting traditional
and modern themes.
On 11th November 1968 Maldives
became Republic for the second time. The day is celebrated
every year with parades
and marches and its their Republic
day
The
National
Day celebrates the great victory of Mohamed
Thakurufaanu over the Portuguese in 1573.
The National
Day is celebrated on the 1st of Rabee-ul Awwal,
the third month in the Islamic
calendar.
