Muslim Holidays by Their Gregorian Dates
Here are the dates of the most important Islamic holidays through 2030. These holidays move in the Western (Gregorian) calendar year since the Islamic (or Hijri) calendar is a lunar calendar, instead of a solar calendar. The Hijri calendar is named for the Hijra (or Hegira), the Prophet Muhammad's flight from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution. Years are given as A.H. (anno hegirae) as opposed to A.D. (anno domini).
The Hijri year usually falls around ten days shorter than the Gregorian year. Various forms of the Hijri calendar exist, including the Solar Hijri calendar employed in Iran, which derived from the sun, as well as the Tabular Hijri calendar, which relies on a mathematical formula akin to the method once used for adjusting the Jewish calendar.
Since the Hijri calendar adheres to a lunar cycle, the dates change over time. The Hijri years are provided to assist in connecting events to the Gregorian calendar. Also, the conventional Hijri calendar relies on moon sightings instead of exact calculations, the commencement dates of months and celebrations are not always foreseeable.
| Year | Start of Muharram1 | Mawlid al-Nabi2 | Start of Ramadan3 | Eid al-Fitr4 | Eid al-Adha5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Dec. 6 (A.H. 1432) | Feb. 26 (A.H. 1431) | Aug. 11 (A.H. 1431) | Sept. 10 (A.H. 1431) | Nov. 15 (A.H. 1431) |
| 2011 | Nov. 26 (A.H. 1433) | Feb. 16 (A.H. 1432) | Aug. 1 (A.H. 1432) | Aug. 31 (A.H. 1432) | Nov. 6, (A.H. 1432) |
| 2012 | Nov. 15 (A.H. 1434) | Feb. 5 (A.H. 1433) | July 20 (A.H. 1433) | Aug. 19 (A.H. 1433) | Oct. 26 (A.H. 1433) |
| 2013 | Nov. 5 (A.H. 1435) | Jan. 24 (A.H. 1434) | July 9 (A.H. 1434) | Aug. 8 (A.H. 1434) | Oct. 15 (A.H. 1434) |
| 2014 | Oct. 25 (A.H. 1436) | Jan. 13 (A.H. 1435) | June 29 (A.H. 1435) | July 29 (A.H. 1435) | Oct. 4 (A.H. 1435) |
| 2015 | Oct. 14 (A.H. 1437) | Jan. 3 (A.H. 1436) & Dec. 24 (A.H. 1437) |
June 18 (A.H. 1436) | July 18 (A.H. 1436) | Sept. 24 (A.H. 1436) |
| 2016 | Oct. 2 (A.H. 1438) | Dec. 12 (A.H. 1438) | June 7 (A.H. 1437) | July 6 (A.H. 1437) | Sept. 13 (A.H. 1437) |
| 2017 | Sept. 21 (A.H. 1439) | Dec. 1 (A.H. 1439) | May 27 (A.H. 1438) | June 26 (A.H. 1438) | Sept. 2 (A.H. 1438) |
| 2018 | Sept. 11 (A.H. 1440) | Nov. 21 (A.H. 1440) | May 16 (A.H. 1439) | June 15 (A.H. 1439) | Aug. 22 (A.H. 1439) |
| 2019 | Aug. 31 (A.H. 1441) | Nov. 9 (A.H. 1441) | May 6 (A.H. 1440) | June 4 (A.H. 1440) | Aug. 11 (A.H. 1440) |
| 2020 | Aug. 20 (A.H. 1442) | Oct. 29 (A.H. 1442) | April 24 (A.H. 1441) | May 24 (A.H. 1441) | July 31 (A.H. 1441) |
| 2021 | Aug. 9 (A.H. 1443) | Oct. 19 (A.H. 1443) | April 13 (A.H. 1442) | May 13 (A.H. 1442) | July 20 (A.H. 1442) |
| 2022 | July 30 (A.H. 1444) | Oct. 8 (A.H. 1444) | April 3 (A.H. 1443) | May 3 (A.H. 1443) | July 10 (A.H. 1443) |
| 2023 | July 19 (A.H. 1445) | Sep. 27 (A.H. 1445) | Mar. 23 (A.H. 1444) | April 22 (A.H. 1444) | June 29 (A.H. 1444) |
| 2024 | July 7 (A.H. 1446) | Sep. 16 (A.H. 1446) | Mar. 11 (A.H. 1445) | April 10 (A.H. 1445) | June 17 (A.H. 1445) |
| 2025 | June 26 (A.H. 1447) | Sep. 5 (A.H. 1447) | Mar. 1 (A.H. 1446) | Mar. 31 (A.H. 1446) | June 7 (A.H. 1446) |
| 2026 | June 16 (A.H. 1448) | Aug. 26 (A.H. 1448) | Feb. 18 (A.H. 1447) | Mar. 20 (A.H. 1447) | May 27 (A.H. 1447) |
| 2027 | June 6 (A.H. 1449) | Aug. 15 (A.H. 1449) | Feb. 8 (A.H. 1448) | Mar. 10 (A.H. 1448) | May 17 (A.H. 1448) |
| 2028 | May 25 (A.H. 1450) | Aug. 3 (A.H. 1450) | Jan. 28 (A.H. 1449) | Feb. 27 (A.H. 1449) | May 5 (A.H. 1449) |
| 2029 | May 14 (A.H. 1451) | July 24 (A.H. 1451) | Jan. 16 (A.H. 1450) | Feb. 15 (A.H. 1450) | April 24 (A.H. 1450) |
| 2030 | May 3 (A.H. 1452) | July 13 (A.H. 1452) | Jan. 6 (A.H. 1451) & Dec. 26 (A.H. 1452) |
Feb. 5 (A.H. 1451) | April 14 (A.H. 1451) |
Different Variations of the Hijri Calendar
Traditional (Observational) Hijri Calendar: The beginning of each month is established by observing the new moon, which can result in variations, influenced by weather conditions and geographic location. This renders the onset of Islamic months (like Ramadan and Muharram) somewhat uncertain to forecast because local moon sightings determine the start of each month.
Tabular Hijri Calendar: The Tabular Hijri is a mathematical adaptation of the calendar which standardizes the length of the year and uses fixed calculations. This technique is frequently utilized for historical and scholarly aims, but it often doesn’t correspond with real moon observations.
Solar Hijri Calendar: This calendar is mainly utilized in Iran and Afghanistan. It monitors the Earth's location to the Sun, similar to the Gregorian calendar, yet includes modifications for the precise duration of the solar year. The Solar Hijri Calendar corresponds with seasonal events like the Persian New Year (Nowruz) and differs from the conventional lunar-based Hijri calendar.
Unpredictability of Start Dates: As the conventional Hijri calendar relies on the visibility of the moon, there may be slight variations in the dates observed in different regions of the world.
The beginning of Ramadan can be announced a day earlier or later based on the moon sighting in a specific area. Likewise, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha might not be celebrated on the same date worldwide, so festivities might take place on different dates too.
The structure of the Islamic calendar, along with the various ways of identifying the beginning of each month makes it both fascinating and somewhat uncertain when it comes to holiday celebration dates.This leads to a vibrant and ever-changing experience of the sacred months, ensuring that every year’s celebration feels new and distinct to that particular moment.
