Dubai: An air of festivity hung across the Emirates on Tuesday, as the first day of Eid Al Adha was marked.
Morning prayers were held in each of the seven emirates, with young and old alike greeting each other with best wishes for the festive season.
Eid Al Adha marks the end of Haj. For the past couple of days, residents have been preparing for the festival by buying gifts for friends and family, preparing food and getting their households ready.
Women decorated their hands with henna in the days running up to Eid, ready to greet friends and relatives in their homes. Shops and malls were bustling on Monday night, with residents rushing to make last-minute purchases.
Gifts for friends and family, new abayas, kanduras and clothes and a special blend of incense that's burned throughout the holiday are traditionally the most bought items.
Guidelines
Meat — cattle, sheep or goats — are also traditionally sacrificed during Eid Al Adha.
Muslims celebrate Eid Al Adha or the feast of sacrifice to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ebrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God before God intervened to provide him with an animal to sacrifice instead.
The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority advised people to bring the meat home soon after the animal has been slaughtered, and process it to avoid possible contamination, and also to avoid keeping it in cars or vehicles for long periods of time. The authority's inspectors will be on the look out for illegal animal slaughtering and other food safety violations during the holiday.
The Emirates' green spaces were abuzz with holidaymakers yesterday, enjoying the time out of their stuffy offices, outside in the fresh air.
Everyone is being treated to cool temperatures this week, after downpours hit Sharjah on Monday.
The cooling temperatures will dip to 24°C in Sharjah and to a maximum of 32°C in Dubai over the weekend, allowing everyone to enjoy the extended break.
Children could be seen playing with toys and running around in the open air, while parents enjoyed preparing picnics for their little ones. The smell of barbequed treats hung in the air on the first day of Eid Al Adha yesterday,
Public transport was busy with people enjoying the Eid break, and Dubai Metro — with its panoramic views of the emirate — was a particular favourite.
Activities
"Eid in Dubai" activities and festivities will be hosted until Friday.
Many of the more busy Metro stations will be hosting a clown and balloon twisting show, with shows every half-hour between 5.30 to 9pm until Friday.
Dubai Festival City will be alive with activity. Fireworks will light up the night sky over Dubai Creek at 8pm from Tuesday to Friday, while a musical show and musical dance show will entertain onlookers. The Emirates Youth Symphony Orchestra will also be performing on Wednesday and Friday at 6pm.
The Eid in Dubai raffle draws will be held at 6pm Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Mirdif City Centre, Dubai Festival City and Mall of the Emirates.
Mall of the Emirates will be full of Arabic music, with musicians on stilts, violin, oud, and qanun players performing every afternoon until Friday.
All clear: Weekend forecast
After the heavy downpour in Sharjah and isolated showers across northern emirates on Monday, weather was clear over the UAE on Tuesday morning with high visibility and cool winds. The weather is expected to be clear over until after the weekend.
Weather forecasters have recommended that people to wear warm clothes, especially children and elderly people, during outings as conditions would be cold at night.
According to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), a drop in temperature is expected especially in the western, northern, and eastern areas of the country.
Winds will be moderately rough in general but can blow dust and sands in the open areas. Sea will also be moderately rough and at most of the time but it could become rough at time. Scattered showers are expected in the next two days.
Al Ain city has received no rain during the last several weeks and people have been praying for it. The conditions are cold at night and pleasant during the daytime.
