Dear Ali: we are so proud to be part of the great achievement by the UAE to be chosen for Expo 2020 and we are really looking forward to it. I’m just wondering how we should show our support and whether we can celebrate it with the locals? OM, Dubai
Dear OM: First of all allow me to say mabrook (“congratulations”) to you and everyone with an interest in Arabic culture on the great final results of the Expo 2020 which will take place in our beloved city of Dubai, “the city of life”.
I congratulate you whether you are an Emirati or not, because our country is home to more than 200 nationalities, all living, working and enjoying their lives here. This makes us all feel like one and allows us all to enjoy this great achievement.
Feel free to show your support and join in with this country’s celebrations and events. The fact that this has happened around the same time as our 42nd National Day means our celebration is doubled, alhamdulillah.
Joining your company’s National Day events is a form of support, as is getting involved and attending the various National Day events that are taking place around the Burj Khalifa, the shopping malls and of course the heritage villages.
Follow the radio stations and newspapers to learn about events.
As an Emirati, I’m 100 per cent sure we will always feel happy and proud to see more and more international people celebrating National Day. I always remind people that celebrating National Day is not limited to December 2, but should be part of everyday life in this great country – respecting laws, living in harmony and sharing our cultures while accepting one another and appreciating our similarities and differences.
By doing that we show our support to each other. The UAE deserves to always have the best people living here and you and everyone here are welcome, since this is your home as much as it is mine.
Dear Ali: Why is National Day celebrated annually on December 2, and does not follow the Islamic calendar like other national holidays? EF, Abu Dhabi
Dear EF: One of the reasons is simply the reality of being a country that functions in a way like any other international metropolitan destination which embraces whatever is more convenient.
If we assigned the holiday to the Arabic calender we would celebrate National Day in a different month every year based on the lunar cycle. This means we could at some point celebrate National Day in a different month and day on the Gregorian calendar that conflicts with other events and occasions.
So sticking to the non-changeable Gregorian calendar is healthier from an event point of view.
Plus, it has been always celebrated on the Gregorian calendar so people got used to it. Especially after becoming more and more known to the world and a member of the UN and other respected global organisations, the country can’t just turn around and use the Arabic calendar for this specific occasion, unlike the Holy Month of Ramadan, which we always welcome during the same holy month regardless of which month it is on the Gregorian calendar.
Ali Al Saloom is a cultural adviser and public speaker from the UAE. Follow @AskAli on Twitter, and visit www.ask-ali.com to ask him a question and to find his guidebooks to the UAE, priced at Dh50.
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