what day is eid
Eid in 2026 is expected to fall on Friday, 20 March 2026 , with celebrations beginning from the evening of Thursday, 19 March 2026 , depending on local moon sighting.
Quick Scoop: What day is Eid?
Eid al-Fitr is the festival that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar. It is celebrated on the 1st of Shawwal, and the exact date each year depends on the sighting of the new moon, which is why you sometimes hear different dates from different countries or communities.
Eid al-Fitr 2026 – Key details
- Predicted Gregorian date: Friday, 20 March 2026.
- Start of celebrations: Evening of Thursday, 19 March 2026 in many places (Eid day is Friday).
- Islamic calendar date: 1 Shawwal 1447 AH.
- Actual local date: Can shift by a day based on local moon sighting and the method followed by your community (global vs local sighting vs pre-calculated calendar).
Why you see different answers online
Muslim communities follow different approaches to determine Eid, which is why you’ll often see people asking on forums, “Is Eid tomorrow or the day after?” and getting varied replies. For example, in past years people in the same Reddit thread reported Eid on different days depending on whether they followed their local mosque, their country’s official announcement, or a specific moonsighting organization.
Common reasons for variation include:
- Local vs global moon sighting (some follow Saudi announcements, others follow their own country’s sky).
- Use of astronomical calculations vs physical sighting only.
- Time zones and horizon differences between regions.
So, while 20 March 2026 is widely listed as the expected date, your actual Eid could end up being 20 or 21 March 2026 depending on where you live and whom you follow.
What you should do personally
- Check a trusted local source
- Your local mosque’s website or announcement board.
- National or regional Islamic councils, moonsighting committees, or well-known community organizations.
- Confirm a day or two before
- Most sites and organizations announce Eid the evening the moon is sighted (29th of Ramadan).
* Plan time off, travel, and Eid prayer after that confirmation.
- If you need to tell work or school early
- You can say: “Eid al-Fitr is expected around 20 March 2026 ; final confirmation will depend on moon sighting the evening before.”
Mini FAQ about “what day is Eid”
- Is Eid always one day?
Eid al-Fitr itself is one main day, but many families celebrate over 2–3 days with visits, meals, and gatherings.
- Why does Eid move every year?
The Islamic calendar is lunar, so dates move about 11 days earlier on the Gregorian calendar each year.
- Are there two Eids?
Yes: Eid al-Fitr (after Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (during Hajj season).
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.