There are two main holidays inIslam that are celebrated byMuslims worldwide:Eid al-Fitr andEid al-Adha. The timing of both holidays are set by the lunarIslamic calendar, which is based upon the cycle of the moon, and so is different from the more common, European, solar-basedGregorian calendar. Every year, the Gregorian dates of the Islamic holidays change.
Both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha follow a period of 10 holy days or nights: the last 10 nights ofRamadan for Eid al-Fitr, and the first 10 days ofDhu al-Hijjah for Eid al-Adha. TheNight of Power (Arabic: لیلة القدر,romanized: Laylat al-Qadr), one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, is the holiest night of the year.[citation needed] Conversely, theDay of Arafah, the day before Eid al-Adha, is the holiest day of the Islamic year.[citation needed]
There are a number of other days of note as well as festivals, some common to all Muslims, others specific toShia Islam or branches thereof.
Additionally, Friday is considered the holiest day of the week, and, in Islamic tradition, is considered a celebration in itself.Friday prayers (Juma) are congregational prayers held inmosques, and Muslims are encouraged to wear clean and refined clothes, perfume, and bathe. It is customary to eat special meals with family on this day.
Eid al-Fitr is celebrated at the end ofRamadan (a month of fasting during daylight hours), and Muslims may perform acts ofzakat (charity) on the occasion, which begins after the new moon is sighted for the beginning of the month ofShawwal. Celebration begins with prayers on the morning of 1 Shawwal, followed by breakfast, and often celebratory meals throughout the day.
Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the tenth day ofDhu al-Hijjah, when theHajj pilgrimage takes place which lasts for four days. Muslims may perform an act of zakat and friendship by slaughtering a sheep or cow and distributing the meat to family, friends, and the poor. Muslims are also encouraged to be especially friendly and reach out to one another during this period.[1]
Muslims celebrate when they believe theQuran was first revealed to Muhammed by fasting from dawn to sunset duringRamadan, the ninth month of theIslamic calendar.[2] Fasting is considered a purifying experience so that Muslims can gain compassion and deepen their faith inGod.[3] Those with certain health conditions such as diabetes, and children are exempt from fasting.[4] Travelers, and women who are menstruating or nursing a baby, are exempt from fasting but are required to fast later.[5]
The Islamic calendar is based on thesynodic period of theMoon's revolution around the Earth, approximately 291⁄2 days. The Islamic calendar alternates months of 29 and 30 days (which begin with the new moon). Twelve of these months make up an Islamic year, which is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year. Some Gregorian dates may vary slightly from those given, and may also vary by country. SeeIslamic calendar.[6][7]
| Holiday Name | Hijri Date, 1447 AH | Gregorian Date, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Islamic New Year | 1 Muḥarram | 26 June 2025 |
| Tasu'a[a] | 9 Muharram | 4 July 2025 |
| Ashura | 10 Muḥarram | 5 July 2025 |
| Arbaʽeen[a] | 20 or 21 Ṣafar[b] | 14 or 15 August 2025 |
| Akhiri Chahar Shambah[c] | Last Wednesday of Ṣafar | 20 August 2025 |
| Eid-e-Shuja' (Eid-e-Zahra)[d] | 9 Rabī‘ al-Awwal | 1 September 2025 |
| Mawlid an-Nabī (Birthday ofMuhammad)[e] | 12 Rabī‘ al-Awwal | 4th September 2025 |
| Baptism of Muhammad[f] | 19 Rabī‘ al-Awwal | 11 September 2025 |
| Beginning the Three Holy Months | 1 Rajab | 21 December 2025 |
| Laylat al-Raghaib | 2 Rajab | 22 December 2026 |
| Birthday of‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib[a] | 13 Rajab | 2 January 2026 |
| Laylat al-Mi'raj | 26 Rajab or 27 Rajab[g] | 15 or 16 January 2026 |
| Laylat al-Bara'at | 15 Sha‘bān | 3 February 2026 |
| Birthday ofHujjat-Allah al-Mahdī[d] | 15 Sha‘bān | 3 February 2026 |
| First day ofRamaḍān | 1 Ramaḍān | 18 February 2026 |
| Laylat al-Qadr | 21, 23, 25, 27, or 29 Ramaḍān[h] | 10th, 12th, 14, 16 and 18 March 2026 |
| Jumu'atul-Wida | Last Friday in the month of Ramadan before Eid al-Fitr | 13 March 2026 |
| Chaand Raat[i] | 29 or 30 Ramaḍān[j] | 18 or 19 March 2026 |
| Eid al-Fitr | 1 Shawwāl | 20 March 2026 |
| Hajj | 8–13 Dhū al-Ḥijja | 25 - 30 May 2026 |
| Day of Arafah | 9 Dhū al-Ḥijja | 26 May 2026 |
| Eid al-Adha | 10 Dhū al-Ḥijja | 27 May 2026 |
| Eid al-Ghadir[a] | 18 Dhū al-Ḥijja | 4 June 2026 |
| Eid al-Mubahalah[a] | 24 Dhū al-Ḥijja | 10 June 2026 |
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