Wasit announces three-day public holiday for Arbaeen

WASIT — Wasit Provincial Council has voted to suspend official working hours for three days next week in observance of annual Arbaeen pilgrimage.

According to a statement from the council, the holiday will include Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week across the governorate.

Arbaeen, which falls 40 days after Ashura, commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD. The event is among the largest religious gatherings in the world, with millions of pilgrims walking to Karbala, where Imam Hussein is buried.

Wasit’s three-day long follows the Najaf Provincial Council announcement that official working hours will be suspended across the governorate from Thursday, Aug. 7, through Thursday, Aug. 14, to allow residents to take part in Arbaeen pilgrimage events. Security and essential service departments will be exempt from the closure.