Holidays & Important Dates
There are many holidays on the Islamic calendar,
most of which are festive and the Muslims feast.
There are also days on the Islamic calendar
when the Muslims mourn for great people who lived
long ago, such as Muhammad, or a great caliph.
As many of you know, there are two major separate groups
of Muslims. The Shiite Muslims and the Sunni Muslims.
These two groups of Muslims celebrate many of the same
holidays and important dates, but some days that the Shiites
celebrate are not what the Sunnis celebrate. For example,
The Shiites mourn during Aashurah, on the 10th of Muharram,
while the Sunnis celebrate the flight of Moses and the
Israelites from Egypt. Below is a list of holidays,
festivals, feasts, days of mourning, etc. Items marked with
a "Sh/Su" are celebrated by both the Shiites and the Sunnis.
Items marked with an "Sh" are only celebrated by the Shiites,
while items marked with an "Su" are only celebrated by the Sunnis.
Holidays and Days of Mourning
- 1 Muharram | Islamic New Year Sh/Su
- 10 Muharram | Ashurah, day of mourning Sh
- 15 Sha'aban | Shab-e-Br'aat, Islamic festival of the dead Sh/Su
- Ramadan (Whole Month) | Days of fasting Sh/Su
- 19~22 Ramadan | Mourning of Ali ibn Abi Talib (Imam Ali, seen as first caliph by the Shiites) Sh
- 1 Shawwal | Eid ul-Fitr, big feast celebrating end of Ramadan (Eid means feast in Arabic) Sh/Su
- 10 Dhul al-Hijjah | Eid ul-Adha, celebrated in honor of Abraham when he intended to sacrifice Ishmael (Muslims would sacrifice an animal, usually a lamb) Sh/Su
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Ashurah is celebrated in memory of the matyrdom of Muhammad's grandson, Husayn ibn Ali.
Shia Muslims beat themselves with chains on this day, which supposedly connects them with
the sufferings of Husayn. Some Shiites alternatively thump their chests.
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Below are some important dates on the Islamic calendar. They are all recognized by all Muslims.
Important Dates
- 27 Rajab | Isra and Miraj, Muhammad's Night Jouney
- Last 10 days of Ramadan | Laylat al Qadr, the time in which Muhammad was told the entire Qur'an
- 8~10 Dhul al-Hijjah | The Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca
For information about the order of the months, click here.
For information about the significance of the months, such as Ramadan, click here.
For information about the correlating dates of recent Islamic holidays/important dates to the Gregorian calendar, click here.
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