Eid al-Fitr 2020: When is it and how does Eid al-Fitr differ from Eid al-Adha?

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Birmingham (UK) - The Islamic festival Eid is celebrated in the UK and across the world each year by millions of Muslims.. There are two main Eid events in the Islamic calendar.

Eid al-Fitr falls at the end of the ninth month, Ramadan, while Eid al-Adha comes within the 12th and final month, Dhu al-Hijjah.

We are now well into the Muslim year 1441 because the new year started last autumn. So when are those key celebrations taking place?

Eid al-Fitr 2020


Eid al-Fitr - also written as Eid ul Fitr - means Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. It come after Ramadan, the month of fasting, and is on the first day of the next month, Shawwal.

More than 100,000 Muslims attended Birmingham's main celebrations at Small Heath Park in 2019. It's Europe's largest Eid gathering.

Islamic worshippers follow a lunar calendar, with the start and end of each month determined by a sighting of the first crescent of the new moon. Some Muslim organisations draw up astronomical charts well in advance to predict all the key dates, based on the moon's cycle. It gives us a good idea when festivities will be held.

According to the Umm al-Qura Calendar used in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar, Eid al-Fitr will be on Sunday, May 24 .

Eid al-Adha 2020


Eid al-Adha - also written as Eid ul Adha and also known as Qurbani Eid, Bakra Eid and Greater Eid - means Festival of the Sacrifice. It commemorates Ibraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son. He was about to go ahead when he was shown a sheep to slaughter instead.

Muslims mark the occasion by sacrificing a lamb, goat or other animal and sharing the meat with friends and neighbours, and with the poor and needy.

Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar. So the new moon that determines the start of the month can then be used to work out the date of Eid al-Adha.

According to the Umm al-Qura Calendar used in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar, Eid al-Adha will fall on Friday, July 31. So, as was the case with Eid al-Fitr, this is likely to be the date of Birmingham's main public celebrations in Small Heath Park.

Similarly, the date could vary by a day elsewhere.

In 2019, Birmingham's main Eid event took place on August 11, while other organisations celebrated on August 12.

The festivities last from three to 16 days, depending on the country.

Why do Eid dates change each year?


The dates of Islamic events move back by 10 or 11 days a year. This is because the Islamic calendar - also called the Hijri calendar - is based on the cycle of the moon and consists of 12 months in a year that is 354 or 355 days long.

This is 10 to 11 days shorter than the solar-based Gregorian calendar followed by much of the western world, hence Islamic dates getting that much earlier each year.

Typically, a sighting of the first crescent of the new moon is accurately recorded and confirmed before dates are announced. But some organisations and countries use an advance calendar based on the lunar cycle so they can plan ahead.

The Umm al-Qura Calendar is drawn up in Saudi Arabia for Government purposes in an effort to create consistency across the country and to stop false sightings being taken into account.

The makers of the calendar say they are well aware that the first visual sighting of the lunar crescent can occur up to two days after the forecast date. They admit that the calendar is often criticised by other Muslim organisations and communities who base their calendar on the actual sighting of the lunar crescent.

"Especially around the month of fasting (Ramaḍan) and the month of pilgrimage (Dhu al-Hijjah) the Umm al-Qura calendar often causes confusion when the dates observed by different Muslim communities for these major Islamic festivals are found to differ by one, two or even three days."

They add: "Strictly speaking, the Umm al-Qura calendar is intended for civil purposes only.

"The calendar dates for the months of Muḥarram, Ramaḍān, Shawwal and Dhu al-Hijjah are often adjusted by the religious authorities of Saudi Arabia after reported sightings of the lunar crescent."

Along with Green Lane Masjid in Birmingham, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) and the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR) also follow announcements in Saudi Arabia for their celebrations.
Location: Birmingham, UK

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