Ghana’s government has declared the 28th of June a statutory public holiday to be observed by all citizens in the country.
This was announced in a press release by the Ministry for the Interior on 20th June, 2023.
According to the press statement, the statutory public holiday is intended at celebrating Eid-ul-Adha throughout the country.
“The general public is hereby informed that Wednesday, 28th June, 2023 which marks Eid-ul-Adha, is a Statutory Public Holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country.”
Eid ul-Adha is the second and largest of Islam’s two major holidays, alongside Eid-ul-Fitr. It is also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, and it commemorates the day Abrahim was willing to sacrifice the person he loved the most, because it was Allah’s command which he had to obey.
It is also important as it marks the end of the period of Hajj (the 5th pillar of Islam). Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which is considered the holiest city for Muslims. It is considered as one of the most important rituals for Muslims to perform at least once in their lifetime.
This year, Eid-ul-Adha will be celebrated from the evening of Tuesday, June 27, 2023, until the evening of Wednesday, June 28, 2023. While Eid ul-Adha is commemorated in Ghana on a regular basis, it was not considered a holiday in itself.
However, the government has chosen to declare it a statutory holiday this year, which means that no public work will be performed on that day as Muslims would be celebrating the important event.
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Story by | John David Afeti | univers.ug.edu.gh
