Christmas in Makkah: Why the Festive Break Has Become Peak Season for British Pilgrims

ByBNW TEAM

For most of Britain, the last two weeks of December mean turkey, family visits and the King’s Speech. For a growing number of British Muslims, they mean something quite different: a flight to Jeddah, two plain white cloths in the hand luggage, and Christmas Day spent walking round the Kaaba.

Travel firms that sell Umrah packages UK wide say the festive break has become one of the busiest times of their year, close behind Ramadan. Flights to Saudi Arabia fill up early, hotel rooms near the Grand Mosque are booked months ahead, and prices for the week before New Year can be far higher than in November or January. So what’s behind the trend, and what does it mean for families thinking of going?

Why December works

The answer starts with the calendar. The Christmas break is one of the few times of the year when almost everyone in a British household is free at once. Schools close for around two weeks. Many offices shut between Christmas and New Year, and plenty of people find they can take the trip using fewer days of annual leave than at any other time.

For Muslim families, that matters a great deal. Umrah usually takes ten days to two weeks once travel is included. Finding a fortnight when parents, children and sometimes grandparents can all get away is not easy. December solves the problem in one go.

Then there’s the weather. Makkah is hot for most of the year and very hot in summer, when afternoon temperatures pass 40 degrees. In December, days are warm rather than scorching, and the evenings are pleasant. Madinah can even be chilly at night. For older pilgrims and young children, this is a huge advantage.

A trip that feels different

There’s also a quieter reason that some pilgrims mention. Christmas in Britain can feel a little strange for Muslim families. The shops, the adverts and the television are all built around a festival they don’t celebrate, while the rest of the country stops work. Spending that time in Makkah or Madinah turns the long break into something with real meaning for them.

Younger British Muslims in particular are choosing to use the time this way. Groups of friends travel together, and couples who married recently often make it one of their first trips. Social media plays a part too. Photos of the Haram at night, posted while the rest of the timeline is full of Christmas jumpers, have their own pull.

The price of popularity

All this demand has an obvious effect on cost. December Umrah Packages are among the most expensive of the year outside Ramadan, and the price usually depends on exactly which week you choose.

  • Early December. Before the schools break up, prices are usually moderate and the Haram is comfortably busy. For retired couples or families with children below school age, this can be the best value of the whole winter.
  • The week before Christmas. Prices start to climb as schools close and families set off.
  • Christmas to New Year. This is the peak. Flights cost the most, and the hotels closest to the Haram are often full well in advance.
  • Early January. Once the schools go back, prices fall quickly, while the weather stays mild.

Airlines also raise fares on the most popular dates. Some families save by flying on Christmas Day itself, when airports are quieter and some fares are lower, though that isn’t always the case.

Changes on the ground

The rise in December travel has come at a time of big change in Saudi Arabia. Visas for British citizens are now applied for online, often arriving within days, rather than needing passports to be posted off. The Haramain high-speed railway links Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah, cutting the journey between the two holy cities to a little over two hours. And the Nusuk app is used to book Umrah permits and visits to the Rawdah in Madinah.

These changes have made Umrah easier to arrange than it was a decade ago, which has helped more people consider a short winter trip. They have also made it more important to plan. Permit slots and hotel rooms both go quickly in peak weeks.

Advice for anyone planning a December trip

For families thinking about going this winter or next, the main advice is to plan early.

  • Book several months ahead, especially for the week between Christmas and New Year.
  • Check every passport has at least six months left from the date you arrive.
  • Get the meningitis ACWY vaccination at least ten days before travel.
  • Use a company with ATOL protection, and get hotel names and flight times in writing.
  • Download and register on Nusuk before leaving the UK.
  • Pack a light jumper. Air-conditioned buildings and Madinah evenings can be cold.

It’s also worth being realistic about crowds. December isn’t as busy as Ramadan, but in the peak week the Grand Mosque is very full, particularly at the evening prayers. Pilgrims with mobility problems should book wheelchair help in advance.

Making a short trip count

Because so many people are fitting Umrah into the time between Christmas and New Year, trips in December tend to be short, often a week to ten days. That can feel rushed, and it’s easy to come home exhausted.

Pilgrims who have done it a few times tend to give the same advice. Don’t try to see everything. Rest on the day you arrive, even if you’re keen to go straight to the Haram. Do the Umrah when you’re fresh. Then pick one or two visits, such as Masjid Quba in Madinah or Mount Uhud, rather than trying to cover every historic site. Many people also say that a few extra nights in Madinah, where the pace is slower, made the whole trip feel calmer.

Keep the first day back in Britain free as well. With work starting again in early January, it’s tempting to fly home on the last possible day, but a day to recover makes a real difference.

Not just a British trend

Britain isn’t the only country where this is happening. Muslims from elsewhere in Europe, North America and Australia also use their winter breaks for Umrah, and the combination of school holidays in several countries at once adds to the crowds. Pilgrims from Britain will often find themselves sharing hotels and flights with families from France, Germany and the United States.

Looking ahead

With Saudi Arabia continuing to make visits easier and many British Muslim families keen to give the holiday season a spiritual focus, there’s little sign of December demand slowing. If anything, the challenge for pilgrims is no longer whether they can go, but whether they can find a room near the Haram in time.

For those who manage it, there are few better ways to end the year. While the rest of the country counts down to midnight on New Year’s Eve, some British pilgrims will be standing in the courtyard of the Grand Mosque, waiting for the dawn prayer.