How many days until Eid al-Fitr?

About Eid al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr, meaning the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," is one of the two major holidays in Islam, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. It is celebrated with communal prayers, festive meals, new clothing, and the exchange of gifts, and charitable giving to those in need is also emphasized as part of the occasion. The date shifts every year because it falls on the first day of Shawwal, the month immediately following Ramadan in the purely lunar Islamic calendar, and since that calendar is not synced to the solar year, its dates drift roughly ten to eleven days earlier each Gregorian year. As with the start of Ramadan itself, the precise date of Eid al-Fitr has traditionally depended on the sighting of the new crescent moon marking the end of Ramadan, which means the confirmed date can vary by a day between different countries and communities, with some relying on local moon sighting and others on astronomical calculation. Celebrations typically begin with a special communal prayer held in the morning, followed by family visits, festive meals, and the giving of a specific charitable donation intended to ensure that those with fewer means can also take part in the holiday's festivities. A common misconception is that Eid al-Fitr is a single uniform date recognized identically everywhere in the world on the same day; because moon sighting can differ by region, it is not unusual for the holiday to be observed a day apart in different countries, even though the underlying religious observance is the same.

Dates on this page are checked against public calendar sources. Spot something wrong? Let us know.