In most parts of the world public holidays occur at set times of the year, their dates marked conveniently on the calendar for all to see. In Iraq, however, a nation where little is straightforward, things are different.

Two hours before midnight, the Government decided that yesterday was to be the first day of the Islamic new year, catching people across the country by surprise.

“I was getting ready for work this morning, like usual, and my brother asked me what I was doing because today is a holiday,” said Fatima Abaas, a 33-year-old bank auditor in Baghdad. “It is ridiculous. We should be told two days in advance in order to have time to make plans. I already lost the day because I got up early thinking that I had to go to my job,” she said.

Even newspapers had no prior warning and were forced to print on the front of yesterday’s editions: “Today . . . is a holiday.”

State television broke the news on Tuesday night with an announcement from the Council of Ministers that the following day would be a holiday to mark the beginning of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. People had been expecting a day off this week but no one was sure when. The problem arises from trying to accommodate various religious sensibilities as well as a lack of a single authority within the beleaguered Government. Select religious figures in Iraq decide the start of each of the 12 months in the Islamic year based upon the first sighting of the crescent moon every 29 to 30 days. It is up to the Government, however, to call each national holiday based on the dates given by the sheikhs and imams.

The Islamic calendar observed by Iraq’s once-dominant Sunni minority is one or two days ahead of the calendar followed by the country’s Shia majority. In addition, different Shia religious sects recognise alternative dates. Under Saddam Hussein, public holidays were marked clearly in advance to avoid confusion, typically forcing Shias to take a holiday at the same time as Sunnis. The new Shia-led Government attempted to appease everyone, resulting in a confusing situation where certain holidays stretch out for much longer.

To continue the uncertainty, Iraqis were waiting last night to hear whether today would also be a holiday, with the possibility of people choosing to merge their impromptu break into the weekend.

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