Bahrain Announces Eid Al Fitr Holidays

Bahrain's ministries and public institutions will get holidays on the day of Eid Al Fitr and the two days that follow, according to a circular issued by Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. 

The circular noted that if any of the Eid days coincides with an official holiday, an extra day will be given as compensation, the circular added.

Eid Al Fitr is now expected to fall on Saturday, April 22nd, in countries that require accurate sighting of the crescent with the naked eye or the correct local vision of the telescope.

This new prediction is one day later than the previous prediction, as the crescent cannot be sighted without a telescope, a professional observer, and exceptional weather conditions. Spotting the crescent moon on Thursday, April 20th, is not expected to happen with the naked eye from anywhere in Arab and Islamic countries.

However, it is possible to see the crescent using the telescope only and with difficulty from the western parts of Africa and Europe, and it is customary under such circumstances for most of the countries of the Islamic world to announce Eid Al Fitr on the next day, Friday, April 21st.

The moonsighting committee will meet up on Thursday and investigate the sighting of the Eid crescent to determine the start of Eid Al Fitr.