Learn about the top five most important dates in Pakistan
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Afrah: Assalam u Alaikum Urdupod101.com mein khush amdeed. |
| Eric: Hi everyone and welcome back to Urdupod101.com. I’m Eric, and this is All About Lesson 9, Important Dates During the Pakistani Calendar Year. |
| Afrah: Hi everybody, Afrah here. So Eric, what are we going to be talking about in this lesson? |
| Eric: The top five most important holidays in Pakistan! |
| Afrah: Well, Pakistan definitely has a lot of interesting celebrations through the year. |
| Eric: In this lesson, we’re going to learn about five holidays that are near and dear to the hearts of Pakistani people. |
Lesson focus |
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| Eric: We’ll be going in reverse order though, which means we will start with #5. Coming in at #5 is... |
| Afrah: Ashura. |
| Eric: This holiday mark the sacrifices made by certain relatives of the Prophet Muhammad. It occupies an important place in the lives of all Muslims |
| Afrah: Yes, that’s right. The month of Muharram is the month to honor the sacrifices made by the Muslims in the era of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. |
| Eric: The holiday is celebrated on the 9th and 10th of the Muharram, which is in the Islamic calendar. |
| Afrah: During this time in Pakistan, marriages are not held by Muslims and the Shia sect of Muslims mourns in specific places in the country. |
| Eric: Okay, what comes in at #4? |
| Afrah: At #4, we have Kashmir Holiday. |
| Eric: This holiday is celebrated on the 5th of February. |
| Afrah: It was established to show solidarity with the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and honor their sacrifices made for freedom. |
| Eric: People from different walks of society gather at important public buildings and light candles to honor the efforts of the people of Kashmir. The UN has passed a resolution that gives the people of Kashmir the right to take part in a referendum that will decide whether Kashmiris want to be with Pakistan or India. |
| Afrah: But Indian governments have not carried out the referendum and they do not accept the decision of UN. The killings, political instability, and damage to women and children keeps on worsening in this part of the world. |
| Eric: Do people still go onto the streets and hold rallies on Kashmir Day? |
| Afrah: Well, now with our fast- paced life, people don’t come out in great numbers. But some people do still turn out to show solidarity with Kashmiris and pressure the Indian government to resolve the Kashmir issue as soon as possible. |
| Eric: I see. What do we have next on our list? |
| Afrah: At #3 is Youme Quaid. |
| Eric: This is a Pakistani festival that celebrates the birth of the founder of Pakistan. |
| Afrah: His name was Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The holiday is celebrated on the 25th of December every year. |
| Eric: Oh, the same day as Christmas! How do you celebrate it? |
| Afrah: On this day, a military guard of honor is placed at the tomb of Quaid-i-Azam and all the important political figures gather at the tomb to pray for the deceased founder of Pakistan. |
| Eric: Also, programs related to his life and struggle are broadcasted on television. People make firm plans to follow the three principles of unity, faith, and discipline given by Muhammad Ali Jinnah on the eve of the formation of Pakistan. Those are strong ideals! What’s second on our list? |
| Afrah: The Muslim religious festival Eid. |
| Eric: Eid is a special religious event that is celebrated with fervor and zest. There are 2 Eids celebrated in a calendar year. |
| Afrah: Eid ul Fitar is the first eid and it’s celebrated at the end of the Islamic month of Ramazan. Since the Islamic calendar is linked to the sighting of the moon, there are no set dates for Eid ul fitar. |
| Eric: I see. What about the second Eid? |
| Afrah: Eid ul Azha is the 2nd Eid and is celebrated on the 10th of the Islamic calendar’s Zilhaj month. The dates for this Eid are also unknown as they depend on the sighting of the moon. |
| Eric: Both the Eids are known for the happiness they spread among Muslims across the world. People cook sweet things, share gifts and food, and relatives get together. |
| Afrah:Special efforts are made to make sure the poor and underprivileged people in society also enjoy these two eids. |
| Eric: That sounds interesting. So now we’re at the top of the list. The most important holiday in Pakistan is... |
| Afrah: Pakistan’s Independence Day. |
| Eric: Independence Day is celebrated on August 14th, right? |
| Afrah: Yes, to commemorate its independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation on that day in 1947. Flag hoisting ceremonies are held all over the country. We pay tribute to all the freedom fighters who gave their lives for the freedom of our country. |
| Eric: It sure sounds like all the celebrations in Pakistan are full of colors and festivity. |
| Afrah: That’s very true! |
Outro |
| Eric: Okay, that’s all for this lesson. Thank you for listening, everyone, and we’ll see you next time! |
| Afrah: phr milenge. |
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