The Date of Eid Al-Fitr Has Been Confirmed After Moon Sighting

Eid al-Fitr is the Muslim holiday that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Millions of Muslims from all over the world observe Ramadan with a period of reflection, prayer, and abstinence that takes place during the Islamic calendar's ninth month.

At the end of the month of Ramadan, practicing Muslims will obtain from eating or drinking during the day, only getting a chance to put an end to their fast when they celebrate Eid al-Fitr. However, the timing of Eid al-Fitr changes yearly.

That's because it is determined by the lunar calendar. But that's not all, the celebration cannot begin until trained sighters spot the moon in a particular state, which is something that is often done in countries like the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia.

Experts say that the 2026 Eid moon sighting has finally taken place in Saudi Arabia, which means that Muslims around the world now know when they can officially break their fast as Ramadan comes to an end. Here's what we know.

According to USA Today, the Saudi Arabian officials tasked with this tradition say that they are calling for a moon sighting on Mar. 18, 2026. This is when they expect to see the Shawwal moon (also known as the crescent moon). If they are correct and the moon is sighted, then Eid al-Fitr will begin the following day.

But just because Saudi Arabia says that the moon sighting will take place on Mar. 18, it doesn't mean all Muslim countries will come to the same conclusion about the end of Ramadan.

In fact, there was even some disagreement on the start of Ramadan, according to the publication, and while Saudi Arabia declared the beginning of the holy month on Feb. 18 in 2026, Muslims in countries like Singapore, Turkey, and Oman began their celebration on Feb. 19 instead.

It seems like they may be in for a similar disagreement about the end of Ramadan as well, since the Saudi Gazette says that Turkey and Singapore have both said Eid al-Fitr will happen on Mar. 20, 2026.

The UK government's blog explains why the moon has such a large role to play in the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr. According to the agency, the decision to follow the moon has to do with the fact that the Islamic calendar follows the lunar calendar's visibility. That means that each new month on the Islamic calendar starts after the sighting of the crescent moon.

However, things get a little tricky when talking about the Islamic calendar globally.

That's because different regions of the world view different phases of the moon. While one side of the globe could be looking at a crescent moon, people on the other side of the globe could see something else entirely in the sky, highlighting why different Muslim-majority countries opt to celebrate their traditions on different dates sometimes.