Are There Two Eids in Islam? Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha Explained
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Yes. Islam has exactly two Eids: Eid al-Fitr, on 1 Shawwal after Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, on 10 Dhul Hijjah during Hajj. Eid al-Adha, also called Bakrid or Eid Bakri, is known as the bigger Eid. In 2027 they are expected around March 9 and May 16.
People new to Islam, and plenty of colleagues and neighbours, often ask why Muslims celebrate Eid twice a year. Are there really two Eids, or are they the same thing?
Why are there two Eids?
Anas ibn Malik reported that when the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah, the people there had two festival days from before Islam. He said: “Allah has given you something better than them: the Day of Sacrifice and the Day of Breaking the Fast” (Sunan Abu Dawud 1134). From then on, Muslims have had two Eids, and only two.
Each comes at the end of a great act of worship:
- Eid al-Fitr after a month of fasting in Ramadan.
- Eid al-Adha after the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah and the Day of Arafah, the high point of Hajj.
So both Eids are days of thanks: thanks for being able to fast, and thanks for the days of Hajj and for being able to sacrifice. We go into this more in why is Eid important?
Eid al-Fitr vs Eid al-Adha
| Eid al-Fitr | Eid al-Adha (Bakrid) | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | 1 Shawwal | 10 Dhul Hijjah |
| Meaning | Festival of Breaking the Fast | Festival of Sacrifice |
| Special act | Zakat al-Fitr, paid before the prayer | Qurbani, given after the prayer |
| Food before the prayer | Eat something first, ideally dates | Wait until after the prayer |
| Length | One day | Eid day plus three days of Tashreeq |
| Other names | Eid al-Saghir, “meethi Eid” | Eid al-Kabir, Bakrid, Bakra Eid, Qurbani Eid |
| 2027 (expected) | Around Tuesday, March 9 | Sunday, May 16 |
Both Eids start with a congregational prayer of two rak’ahs and a khutbah, and both are days when fasting is not allowed.
What is Eid Bakri, and why is it the bigger Eid?
In India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Eid al-Adha is often called Bakrid, Bakra Eid or Eid Bakri. Most people link the name to bakra, the Urdu word for a goat, because goats are the most common Qurbani animal there.
In much of the Arab world it is called Eid al-Kabir, the big Eid, and Eid al-Fitr is Eid al-Saghir, the small Eid. Eid al-Adha is “bigger” for two reasons. It lasts longer, since the takbeer and Qurbani continue into the days of Tashreeq. And it includes the sacrifice, which the Prophet ﷺ described as the most beloved deed to Allah on that day (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 1493).
Are other days also Eids?
Friday is sometimes called a weekly Eid in hadith, because it is a day of gathering and worship. The Day of Arafah is described as a day of Eid for the pilgrims. But the two festivals with their own Eid prayer are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Other days in the calendar, like the Islamic New Year or Ashura, are not Eids. See Muslim holidays 2027 for the full calendar.
What do you say on Eid?
“Eid Mubarak” (a blessed Eid) works for both. The Companions used to greet each other with Taqabbalallahu minna wa minkum, “May Allah accept it from us and from you.” Our Eid takbeer and dua guide has more.
Qurbani: what makes Eid al-Adha different
The one thing you won’t find on Eid al-Fitr is the sacrifice. On Eid al-Adha, Muslims who can afford it sacrifice a goat, sheep, or share of a cow or camel, after the Eid prayer, and share the meat with family and the poor. In the Hanafi school it is wajib for adults who own the nisab. The Qurbani rules explain the details, and what is Qurbani? covers the history.
If you would like your Qurbani done for you, we slaughter by hand in rural Bangladesh after the Eid prayer there, with no stunning. The meat goes to Rohingya refugees and poor families, and you get photos and video.
Quick questions
Which Eid comes first in the year? Eid al-Fitr, about seventy days before Eid al-Adha.
Is Eid al-Adha more important than Eid al-Fitr? Both are blessed. Eid al-Adha is called the bigger Eid because it lasts longer and includes the sacrifice.
Is Bakrid the same as Eid al-Adha? Yes, it is the same day.
See how our Qurbani donation works when you’re ready to plan for Eid al-Adha.
Give your Qurbani with us
We buy healthy animals of the right age in rural Bangladesh and slaughter them by hand after the Eid prayer, with no stunning. The meat goes to Rohingya refugees and poor families, and you get photos and video of your animal.
Reserve from $170 How our Qurbani donation worksDates are estimates based on astronomical calculations and the Umm al-Qura calendar, and depend on the moon sighting. Hadith references include the collection and number so you can check them. Where a narration is graded weak, we say so. Scholars differ on some details, so ask a local scholar about your own situation.
