What is Eid al-Fitr? Eid al-Fitr, also called Eid ul-Fitr or the Festival of Breaking the Fast, is the Muslim festival held on 1 Shawwal, the day after Ramadan ends, marked by a two-rak'ah Eid prayer and the Zakat al-Fitr payment.
Key Takeaways
- Eid al-Fitr falls on 1 Shawwal, the 10th month of the Hijri calendar, and is expected on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027, subject to moon sighting (UAE Astronomy Centre estimate).
- The Prophet ﷺ set Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as the two Muslim festivals after arriving in Medina (Sunan Abi Dawud 1134).
- The Eid prayer is two rak'ahs with extra takbirs, prayed in the morning and followed by a khutbah (Sahih Muslim 885).
- Zakat al-Fitr is one sa', about 3 kg of staple food, per person, and must be paid before the Eid prayer (Sahih al-Bukhari 1503). HNCO's UK minimum is £5 per person.
- Fasting on the day of Eid al-Fitr is forbidden (Sahih al-Bukhari 1991–1992).
- About 3.9 million people in England and Wales identify as Muslim (ONS Census 2021), yet Eid is not a UK bank holiday.
What is Eid al-Fitr?
Eid al-Fitr is the festival that ends Ramadan, celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. The Arabic name means "festival of breaking the fast": eid is a recurring celebration and fitr is breaking the fast. (It is a different word from fitrah, the innate human nature mentioned in the Qur'an.)
It is one of the two Eids in Islam, alongside Eid al-Adha. Muslims mark the day with a congregational Eid prayer, by paying Zakat al-Fitr before that prayer, by eating after a month of daytime fasting and by visiting family. Britannica also records its older name, al-Eid al-Saghir, "the small festival".
The festival has a different name in almost every Muslim community. These are the ones you are most likely to hear in Britain and abroad, drawn from Wikipedia's survey of names:
| Name | Where it is used | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Eid ul-Fitr / Eid al-Fitr | Arabic and English | Festival of breaking the fast |
| Chhoti Eid, Meethi Eid | Pakistan, India, UK South Asian communities | Little Eid, Sweet Eid |
| Ramazan Bayramı, Şeker Bayramı | Turkey | Ramadan festival, Sugar festival |
| Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Lebaran | Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia | Day of celebration |
| Eid es-Seghir, Korité | Morocco, West Africa | The small Eid |
Where does Eid al-Fitr come from?
Eid al-Fitr was set by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in Medina. Anas ibn Malik reported that the people of Medina had two days of games from before Islam, and the Prophet told them Allah had replaced them with two better days: the Day of Sacrifice and the Day of Breaking the Fast (Sunan Abi Dawud 1134).
The Qur'an ties the festival to the end of the fast itself. The fasting verse closes by telling believers to complete the prescribed number of days and proclaim the greatness of Allah for guiding them (Qur'an 2:185). That is why the takbir, "Allahu akbar", is recited from the night before Eid until the prayer.
When is Eid al-Fitr and how is the date decided?
Eid al-Fitr begins when the new crescent moon of Shawwal is confirmed at the end of Ramadan, so Ramadan lasts either 29 or 30 days. For 2027 it is expected on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March. The Eid al-Fitr 2027 page carries the latest date and will be updated when the moon is announced.
Because the Hijri year is a lunar year of 354 or 355 days, Eid moves about 11 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar each year. You can check today's Hijri date with the Islamic date today tool.
UK mosques do not all use the same method, so Eid can fall on different days in the same city. Some follow a local or regional moon sighting, some follow the announcement from Saudi Arabia, and some use astronomical calculation. Follow your local mosque; our calculation explainer sets out the main approaches without picking a side.
How is the Eid al-Fitr prayer performed?
The Eid al-Fitr prayer (Salat al-Eid) is two rak'ahs prayed in congregation in the morning, after the sun has risen, followed by a sermon. The Prophet ﷺ led the prayer first and gave the khutbah afterwards (Sahih Muslim 885). There is no adhan or iqamah for it.
What sets it apart from a normal two-rak'ah prayer is the extra takbirs, and the number depends on the school you follow:
- Hanafi: three extra takbirs after the opening takbir in the first rak'ah, and three before bowing in the second. Most UK mosques with a South Asian congregation pray this way.
- Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali: seven takbirs in the first rak'ah and five in the second (counting differs slightly between schools).
Scholars differ on its ruling. Hanafis hold it to be wajib (necessary) for those who must attend Jumu'ah, while other schools treat it as a strongly recommended sunnah. Large UK mosques often hold two or three prayers back to back, and some cities hold open-air prayers in parks, so check your mosque's times the week before.
What is Zakat al-Fitr and when is it due?
Zakat al-Fitr, also called fitrana or sadaqat al-fitr, is a fixed payment due from every Muslim for themselves and their dependants before the Eid prayer. The Prophet ﷺ made it one sa' of dates or barley for every Muslim, young or old, and ordered that it be paid before people go out to pray (Sahih al-Bukhari 1503). One sa' is roughly 3 kg of staple food.
Its purpose is twofold. Ibn Abbas reported that it purifies the fasting person from idle and indecent speech and feeds the poor, and that payment before the prayer counts as Zakat al-Fitr while payment after it is ordinary charity (Sunan Abi Dawud 1609).
- How much: UK organisations convert one sa' into cash. HNCO's minimum is £5 per person, and some scholars recommend up to £7.
- Who pays: the head of the household pays for everyone they support, including children and a baby born before sunset on the last day of Ramadan.
- When: any time during Ramadan, and no later than the Eid prayer. Paying early lets the food reach families in time for Eid.
Zakat al-Fitr is separate from the annual 2.5% Zakat on wealth, which you can work out with the Zakat calculator. It is also different from fidya and kaffarah, the payments for missed or broken fasts, explained on the fidya, kaffarah and fitrana page.
What are the sunnah acts of Eid al-Fitr morning?
The Eid al-Fitr morning has a short set of sunnah acts, most of them reported directly from the Prophet ﷺ. In the order most families follow them:
- Pray FajrStart the day with the dawn prayer.
- Ghusl and best clothesBathe and wear your best or new clothes.
- Eat an odd number of datesBefore leaving the house. Bukhari 953
- Make sure fitrana is paidThe deadline is the Eid prayer. Bukhari 1503
- Recite the takbir on the way"Allahu akbar" until the prayer begins. Qur'an 2:185
- Eid prayer, then khutbahTwo rak'ahs with extra takbirs. Muslim 885
- Go home by a different routeAs the Prophet ﷺ did. Bukhari 986
- Greet, visit and give eidi"Eid Mubarak", family visits and gifts for children.
Two of these steps carry a clear contrast with Eid al-Adha. The Prophet ﷺ never left for the Eid al-Fitr prayer until he had eaten an odd number of dates (Sahih al-Bukhari 953), and he returned from the prayer by a different road from the one he took there (Sahih al-Bukhari 986).
How do Muslims in the UK celebrate Eid al-Fitr?
For the 3.9 million Muslims in England and Wales (ONS Census 2021), Eid al-Fitr is a working day unless they book it off. It does not appear on the GOV.UK bank holiday list, so many people request leave weeks ahead without knowing whether Eid will land on the first or second possible date.
The day usually runs from an early mosque or park prayer to a family breakfast, then visits across town. South Asian households serve sheer khurma and sawaiyan (sweet vermicelli), Arab families bake ma'amoul, and children collect eidi, gifts of money from relatives. Greetings are covered in full in our Eid Mubarak wishes guide.
Giving runs through the whole day. Alongside fitrana, many families give sadaqah on Eid so others can celebrate too, which is why HNCO's Ramadan food drive aims to reach families before Eid morning.
Eid al-Fitr: key numbers
Is it allowed to fast on Eid al-Fitr?
No. Fasting on the day of Eid al-Fitr is forbidden, as it is on Eid al-Adha: the Prophet ﷺ prohibited fasting on both feast days (Sahih al-Bukhari 1991–1992). The day itself is for eating, prayer and celebration.
From 2 Shawwal onwards, many Muslims fast six voluntary days. Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days of Shawwal is rewarded as if they had fasted all year (Sahih Muslim 1164). The six days need not be consecutive, and anyone with missed Ramadan fasts to make up should check with their mosque which to do first.
How does Eid al-Fitr differ from Eid al-Adha?
Eid al-Fitr ends the fast of Ramadan; Eid al-Adha comes about 70 days later, on 10 Dhul Hijjah, during Hajj. Both start with a two-rak'ah Eid prayer and both are days when fasting is forbidden, but the rituals around them differ:
| Eid al-Fitr | Eid al-Adha | |
|---|---|---|
| Hijri date | 1 Shawwal | 10 Dhul Hijjah |
| Marks | The end of the Ramadan fast | Ibrahim's sacrifice, during Hajj |
| Giving | Zakat al-Fitr, paid before the prayer | Qurbani, offered after the prayer |
| Eating | Eat before the prayer | Eat after the prayer (Tirmidhi 542) |
| Other name | The Lesser Eid, Chhoti Eid | The Greater Eid, Bakra Eid |
| Expected in 2027 | 9 or 10 March | 16 or 17 May |
The 2027 dates are the UAE Astronomy Centre's estimates and depend on moon sighting.
Eid al-Fitr and Ramadan: from the fast to its end
Eid al-Fitr only makes sense against Ramadan, the month of dawn-to-sunset fasting it closes. If you are new to the fast, start with what Ramadan is and the meaning of Ramadan Mubarak.
Next Ramadan's daily sehri and iftar times are on the UK Ramadan timetable, with city pages for London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bradford. The Ramadan countdown shows how long is left, and the Laylat al-Qadr guide covers the last ten nights before Eid.
Support HNCO this Ramadan
Pay your fitrana early so it reaches families before Eid morning, or give a water pump that keeps giving long after Eid.
Pay your fitrana Give a Ramadan water pump →Frequently asked questions about Eid al-Fitr
What does Eid al-Fitr mean?
Eid al-Fitr means the Festival of Breaking the Fast. Eid means festival or a recurring celebration, and fitr means breaking the fast. It is also called Eid ul-Fitr, the Lesser Eid (al-Eid al-Saghir), Chhoti Eid and Meethi Eid.
How long does Eid al-Fitr last?
Eid al-Fitr is one day in Islamic law, 1 Shawwal, and fasting on that day is forbidden. Many Muslim-majority countries give a public holiday of one to three days, and families often keep visiting for two or three days.
Is Eid al-Fitr a bank holiday in the UK?
No. Eid al-Fitr is not a UK bank holiday, so Muslims usually book annual leave or ask for religious leave, and many schools authorise absence for the day.
What happens if Zakat al-Fitr is paid after the Eid prayer?
According to a hadith in Sunan Abi Dawud (1609), fitrana paid before the Eid prayer counts as Zakat al-Fitr, while payment made after the prayer counts as ordinary charity. Anyone who missed the deadline should still pay as soon as possible.
Do you pay Zakat al-Fitr for children and newborn babies?
Yes. Zakat al-Fitr is due for every Muslim in the household, including children. The head of the household usually pays for dependants, including a baby born before sunset on the last day of Ramadan.
Why do UK mosques celebrate Eid al-Fitr on different days?
UK mosques follow different methods for confirming the new moon of Shawwal. Some rely on a local or regional sighting, some follow the announcement from Saudi Arabia and some use astronomical calculation, so Eid can fall on different days in the same city.
What do you say to someone on Eid al-Fitr?
The most common greeting is Eid Mubarak, meaning blessed Eid. Many Muslims also say Taqabbal Allahu minna wa minkum, meaning may Allah accept it from us and from you.
About HNCO
HNCO (Hajjah Naziha Organisation) is a Muslim non-profit organisation based in Nelson, Lancashire. It runs Ramadan food, water and fitrana appeals and publishes the HNCO Prayer Times section for UK cities. More about HNCO.