Islamic Calendar 2026

Key dates in 2026

Why do Islamic dates change every year?

The Islamic (Hijri) calendar is lunar: twelve months of 29 or 30 days, about 354 days in all. That is roughly 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year, so every Islamic date — Ramadan, Eid, Ashura — moves about 11 days earlier in the Western calendar each year, cycling through all four seasons over roughly 33 years.

Are these dates exact?

These are calculated (tabular) dates, accurate to within about a day. The start of each Islamic month traditionally depends on the sighting of the new crescent moon, which can fall a day earlier or later and varies by region and by the ruling of local authorities. Treat the dates here as a reliable guide and confirm the exact day with your local mosque or moon-sighting authority.