The month begins with Labour Day on May 1, which falls on a Friday. When combined with the weekend on May 2 and 3, this provides an immediate three-day break for workers and students.
Attention then shifts to Eid al-Adha, one of the most significant religious festivals, whose dates depend on the sighting of the Zilhaj moon by Pakistan’s official moon-sighting authority, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee led by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad.
If the moon is sighted on May 17, Eid is expected to fall between May 27 and May 29. With adjacent weekends, this could result in a continuous break of up to five days.
If the moon is not sighted and Zilhaj completes 30 days, Eid may instead fall from May 28 to May 30, with Sunday, May 31 potentially extending the holiday period further.
There is also speculation that if the government declares an additional holiday on Monday, May 25, it could link with the weekend of May 23–24 to create an even longer break.
The final schedule for Eid holidays will be officially confirmed after the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meeting on May 17, which will determine the start of Zilhaj and the exact dates of the festival.
