An Umrah in December Can Be Planned Well in Advance

by Safeena Rahman Travel Addict

Umrah is one of the Islamic pilgrimages performed by Muslims living in various corners of the world by embarking on a journey to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from their place of residence. It is often called the 'lesser pilgrimage' when compared to Hajj, which is the major pilgrimage in Islam and among its five pillars. Although this pilgrimage is lesser in importance than Hajj, it is spiritually rewarding for the pilgrim who performs it. Besides, it is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The major pilgrimage is performed in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, while Umrah can be performed at any time during the year by those who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey.

An Umrah in December during the last week of the month is beneficial for Muslims based in the United Kingdom. One of the major reasons for this is that it is the time when the offices and educational institutions across the country are closed owing to Christmas and New Year celebrations. As most of the people in the UK have holidays for an entire week or more, Muslims residing in the country can plan their journey to the holy city of Makkah for performing their lesser pilgrimage well in advance. They can decide their date of departure and the amount of time they can spend in Makkah much earlier. If this is done several months in advance, they can save more while booking their desired package for the month.

The month of December is also good for Muslims residing in the UK to visit Makkah for performing their Umrah with regards to weather, as this time of the year would be extremely pleasant in the holy city for pilgrims coming from the countries of Northern Europe. They can escape the harsh and snowy winter of their home countries and perform their lesser pilgrimage comfortably in the presence of Makkah's pleasant climate during this time of the year. Makkah generally has a hot desert climate with extremely high temperatures during summers and relatively comfortable climate in winters. The holy city experiences its winter season from December to February with small amounts of rain.

Most of the tour operators based in the UK come up with special offers on packages for December, which gives the prospective pilgrims the chance to have greater savings if they book their chosen package months earlier. They can then utilise the amount saved on visiting important places in the holy city during their stay or buy some attractive souvenirs from the local markets. For some of the Muslims wanting to perform their Umrah in this month, the cost may not be a concern and they may go for the high-end packages. Such packages are categorised by leading tour operators on their websites as 5-star packages, as the accommodations offered in them are in the elegant 5-star hotels of Makkah. Most of these hotels are located close to the Masjid al-Haram and give pilgrims greater convenience in visiting the holy mosque and performing all the rituals with complete peace of mind.