DigiNepal · festivals
UAE National Day (Eid Al Etihad) (عيد الاتحاد / اليوم الوطني (Arabic)). Region: United Arab Emirates. Tradition: National day (UAE and GCC cultural list). Calendar: Gregorian (fixed by government decree). Dates: Official holiday (AE) 2026: Wednesday 2 December 2026 to Thursday 3 December 2026 [official, source AE]; Official holiday (AE) 2027: Thursday 2 December 2027 to Friday 3 December 2027 [official, source AE]; Official holiday (AE) 2028: Saturday 2 December 2028 to Sunday 3 December 2028 [official, source AE]. History and significance: UAE National Day marks the union of the emirates on 2 December 1971, when six emirates formed the federation under Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, with Ras Al Khaimah joining in 1972. Since 2023 the occasion is officially called Eid Al Etihad. Celebrations include fireworks, parades, flag displays and heritage shows across the country. Key rituals and foods: Flag displays, fireworks, parades, heritage villages and traditional dress; foods include national dishes such as machboos, harees and luqaimat. Date basis: official = matches a government gazetted holiday list; computed = calculated from the calendar system (tithi astronomy with skyfield and JPL DE421, Hijri Umm al-Qura, Chinese, Korean and Hebrew calendar libraries, or the fixed rule); expected = Umm al-Qura projection pending moon sighting. Sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata (CC BY-SA, CC0) and government holiday lists, summarised in our own words.