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The Sultanate of Oman is located in the southeast of Arabian Peninsula. The territory of Oman overlooks three seas, the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea. The topographical variation attributes Oman an unmatched beauty, the mountains and beaches, the lush green hilly regions to salty coastal strips all make it a veritable tropical paradise, a preferred tourist destination among the Arabian countries. Oman is essentially a Muslim country. Though quite liberal in its approach, Oman scrupulously observes the direction of its major religion. Those who want to visit Oman must gather some knowledge about Oman Tourist Information , the customs and conventions of Oman, the Public Holidays in Oman, so as not to offend the sentiments of the host country. The Public Holidays in Oman is generally determined on the basis of the Muslim religious dictum. Non-Islamic holidays are not permitted to be observed officially. So, all sectors might be open in Oman even in the Christmas day. One major problem with Public Holidays in Oman is that the Islamic holidays depend largely on the sighting of moon. So, the prior advancements regarding the holiday become difficult and lead to confusions sometimes. The Public Holidays of Oman for the year 2007 are listed below: 1. 01 January New Year's Day 2. 21 January Islamic New Year 3. 31 March Mouloud (Prophet's Birthday) 4. 07/08 April Easter 6. 23 July Renaissance Day 7. 13/14 October Eid al Fitr 8. 24/25 November National Day and HM Sultan Qaboos's birthday 9. 22/23 December Eid ul Adha (Feast of the sacrifice) 10. 25/26 December Chirstmas/Boxing day The Public Holidays at Oman can be divided broadly into two categories: religious and secular holidays. The religious holidays bear special significance. The Islamic New year Al-Hijra is calculated from the 'Hijara', the prophets starting of journey from Meca to Medina. Mouloud or the prophet's birthday is also another one-day holiday. Eid Al-Fitr is generally regarded as the main holiday for Muslims and is celebrated at the end of the holy month of Ramadhan. The celebration lasts for around a week. Muslims gather in the Masjids and in the outdoor meeting places. The festivity includes a lot of colors, distribution of sweets and greeting near and dear ones. Eid Al-Adha is another religious public Holiday of Oman which commemorates the sacrifice of Ismail or Isaac. During this period, Muslim people can inadvertently call on each other and spontaneous religious dancing also takes place on the streets of Oman. Some of the Oman public holidays which are observed secularly are New Year's Day, Renaissance Day, and National Day. The National day or the birthday of Sultan Qaboo is one red-letter day in Oman of utmost significance. The day denotes the birth of the country itself. There are several processions, camel races and traditional dancing held everywhere. During the evening time, magnificent shows of fireworks can be seen. The whole country of Oman goes all out and enjoys the festive revelry. Oman Public Holidays are replete with the spirit of Oman and generally depicts the culture of an Islamic country.
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