اليوم الوطني العماني

 اليوم الوطني العماني

National Day of Oman

The national day of Oman is an official public holiday dated November 18th.  The holiday currently celebrates the birthday of the previous sultan of Oman, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who reigned from 1970 to 2020.  The background of this holiday is mainly to celebrate the independence from Portugal control in 1650.

The national activities are held for two days, due to the 19th of November being the birthday of Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

National day activities usually include parades, camel races, a horse show, and once every five years a military exhibition drill.                                                                                                                                The holiday gives the Omanis the opportunity to return to their home villages, and see friends and family.

Red, green, and white are the main colors of this day because the flag consists of these colors which symbolize special meanings.                                                                                                                      White depicts peace, security, and prosperity, green indicates fertility of the land, while red symbolizes the battles fought against every foreign invader.

The men of Oman dress on this day, the dishdasha or in other words thawb or thobe and their traditional khanjar, which is a ceremonial curved dagger worn during occasions like this and formal ones. The khanjar is described as a symbol of male elegance and grace. The dress of the women includes a dress worn over pants, known as sirwal, and also a headdress, lihaf. The materials are very colorful, vibrant, and bright.

This day lets the Omanis express the joy of their country with fireworks and concerts and parades with merriment.