Festivals & Events

1. رمضان

   Ramaḍān

   Ramadan (month of fasting)

   Usage

   The 9th month of the Islamic calendar. People fast from dawn to sunset and share a meal after dark. Be discreet about eating and drinking in public by day.

   Grammar Note

   A festival or holiday name (noun). Dates follow the Islamic or church calendars, so check each year.

2. عيد الفطر

   ʿĪd el-fiṭr

   Eid al-Fitr (festival ending Ramadan)

   Usage

   The feast after Ramadan, starting on the 1st of Shawwal and lasting a few days. People visit family, eat sweets and give children money. Many shops close.

   Grammar Note

   Two words: feast plus breaking of the fast.

3. عيد الأضحى

   ʿĪd el-aḍḥa

   Eid al-Adha (Festival of the Sacrifice)

   Usage

   A feast beginning on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah when a sheep is sacrificed and the meat shared. Many shops and offices close for several days.

   Grammar Note

   Two words: feast plus sacrifice.

4. المولد النبوي

   El-mawlid en-nabawi

   Mawlid (the Prophet's birthday)

   Usage

   The day marking the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, around the 12th of the third Islamic month. It is a public holiday and sweets are eaten.

   Grammar Note

   Two words: the birth plus "of the Prophet".

5. رأس السنة الهجرية

   Rās es-sine el-hijriyye

   Islamic New Year

   Usage

   The first day of the Islamic calendar year. It is a public holiday in Jordan and some other countries.

   Grammar Note

   Three words: start of the Hijri year.

6. ليلة القدر

   Leylet el-ʾadr

   Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Power)

   Usage

   One night in the last ten days of Ramadan, often taken as the 27th night. Many people pray at mosques all night, so the area gets crowded.

   Grammar Note

   Two words in a possessive phrase: night of the power.

7. يوم عرفة

   Yōm ʿarafe

   Day of Arafah

   Usage

   The 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, the day before Eid al-Adha. Many people fast.

   Grammar Note

   Two words: day plus Arafah.

8. عيد الميلاد

   ʿĪd el-mīlād

   Christmas (25 December)

   Usage

   Christians in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan celebrate on 25 December. Trees and decorations appear in the streets.

   Grammar Note

   Two words: feast plus birth.

9. عيد القيامة

   ʿĪd el-ʾiyāme

   Easter

   Usage

   The Christian feast of the Resurrection. The date can differ between churches. Many families eat maamoul cookies then.

   Grammar Note

   Two words: feast plus resurrection.

10. أحد الشعانين

    Aḥad esh-shaʿānīn

    Palm Sunday

    Usage

    The Sunday before Easter. Children carry decorated branches and candles to church.

    Grammar Note

    Two words: Sunday plus palms.

11. عيد الصليب

    ʿĪd eṣ-ṣalīb

    Feast of the Cross (14 September)

    Usage

    A Christian feast on 14 September. In some Lebanese villages bonfires are lit the evening before.

    Grammar Note

    Two words: feast plus cross.

12. ليلة رأس السنة

    Leylet rās es-sine

    New Year's Eve

    Usage

    The night of 31 December. Hotels and restaurants in Beirut and Amman hold special parties.

    Grammar Note

    Three words: night plus start of the year. Composed from dictionary-verified words.

13. مهرجان بعلبك الدولي

    Mahrajān Baʿalbak ed-dawli

    Baalbeck International Festival

    Usage

    A summer festival of music and performance staged among the Roman temples of Baalbek in Lebanon.

    Grammar Note

    Three words: festival, Baalbek and international.

14. مهرجان جرش

    Mahrajān Jarash

    Jerash Festival

    Usage

    A summer festival of culture and the arts in the Roman ruins of Jerash, Jordan. The full name adds for culture and the arts.

    Grammar Note

    Two words: festival plus Jerash.

15. عيد استقلال الأردن

    ʿĪd istiʾlāl el-Urdunn

    Jordan Independence Day (25 May)

    Usage

    Jordan's national holiday on 25 May, with flags in the streets and fireworks. Offices and many shops close.

    Grammar Note

    Three words: day, independence and Jordan. Composed from dictionary-verified words.

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