Eid al-Fitr 2026

What is Eid al-Fitr?

Eid al-Fitr, meaning the Festival of Breaking the Fast, marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting from dawn to sunset. It is one of the two major festivals in Islam. The day begins with a special congregational prayer in the morning, often outdoors or in large mosques, after which families greet each other with the words Eid Mubarak and visit relatives and friends. The festival lasts for up to three days in many countries. It is a joyful occasion that follows a month of spiritual discipline. The festival is the culmination of the month.

Muslims are expected to give charity before the prayer, called zakat al-fitr, so that the poor can also celebrate. People wear new or their best clothes, and sweets and festive meals are shared. In Turkey and the Balkans, the festival is known as Ramazan Bayramı in Turkish and as Bajram in Bosnian and Macedonian, and in Turkey it is also called the Sugar Feast, Şeker Bayramı, because of the sweets that are given to visitors and children. Visits to the graves of relatives are also customary in many communities. Visits to relatives are the heart of the holiday.

Why it is observed

The festival was established in the early years of Islam in Medina, in the seventh century, after fasting in Ramadan became obligatory. The Islamic calendar is lunar, with months of 29 or 30 days that begin with the sighting of the new crescent. Because the year has about 354 days, Ramadan and the Eids move through the seasons over a cycle of about 33 years. Countries use either local moon sighting or astronomical calculation, and so the date may differ by a day between countries and communities. The shift of the holiday through the seasons has the effect that Eid sometimes falls in the heat of summer and sometimes in the cold of winter.

How the date is set

Eid al-Fitr is the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, the day after the month of Ramadan ends. Because the lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, the date moves earlier by about 10 to 11 days each year in the civil calendar. The exact day depends on the sighting or calculation of the new moon.

How it is observed

Eid al-Fitr is a public holiday in Turkey, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia among the countries on this site. In Turkey the holiday lasts three days and is preceded by a half-day on the eve, and it is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Banks, offices and schools close, and public transport and intercity buses are crowded. Because the date is confirmed only shortly before, forecasts are approximate. Pay and time off depend on the country and the contract. Check the national religious authority for the date.