Bakra Eid 2026 date: Why India celebrates on May 28 while Kashmir observes Eid on May 27. Photo: AI.
Bakra Eid Date 2026: Confusion surrounds the exact date of Bakrid 2026, with some claiming that the festival falls on May 27, while others say May 28. The festival of sacrifice known as Eid al-Adha is celebrated by Muslims around the world to commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (AS). On the calendar, the holiday is scheduled for May 27. However, this year, Muslims in India will celebrate the festival on May 28. The change in date happened due to the sighting of the moon on which the celebration of the festival depends. The moon was sighted on May 18, which marks the beginning of the month of Zil Hijja in Islam. Eid al-Adha is celebrated ten days after sighting the moon of Zil Hijja. It is also a part of Hajj, a mandatory pilgrimage to Mecca and Madinah in Saudi Arabia.
On May 18, Imarat-e-Sharia Hind, Shahi Imam of Fatehpuri Mosque in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk and Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Shaban Bukhari, announced that the three-day festivities would begin from 28 May.
Bakra Eid commemorates the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim, who, according to Islamic scriptures, accepted Allah’s directive of sacrificing his son Ismail. However, according to the Quran, Allah granted Ismail life and an animal was sacrificed in his place. Since then it is a tradition among Muslims worldwide to slaughter an animal and then distribute the meat among relatives, neighbors and poor people.
Going by the calendar holiday list, Eid al-Adha falls on May 27. However, as the moon sighting changed the dates, the central government announced that the government offices across the country will remain closed on May 28 for Eid festivities.
Central government administrative offices located at Delhi/New Delhi shall remain closed on 28th May, 2026, on account of Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) (in place of 27th May, 2026),” a personnel ministry statement released on May 22 said.
Kashmir will celebrate the Bakra Eid on May 27 with countries like Saudi Arabia, while the rest of the country celebrates on May 27.
In Kashmir, the local clerics said that the Zil Hajj crescent was seen on May 17, while in the rest of the country it was sighted on May 18. This is the reason the Bakra Eid will be celebrated by Kashmiri Muslims on Wednesday, 27th May, which is the 10th day of Zil Hajj.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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