📅 holiday

Eid al-Hajj

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

— days to go

Eid al-Hajj, the most important of all Islamic festivals, is a public holiday in Tanzania. The date of the holiday moves each year on the Gregorian calendar. In 2027, Eid al-Hajj falls on Sunday 16 May. The holiday will be on Friday 5 May in 2028. Tanzania is 60 percent Christian and 35 percent Muslim. Nearly all the island of Zanzibar is Muslim, and the country was formed when mainland Tanganyika and the island-state of Zanzibar united to form Tanzania just after the close of the colonial period. The biggest Eid al-Hajj celebrations take place in Zanzibar Town, but there are animal sacrifices and mosque services for Eid al-Hajj along the heavily Muslim coast of Tanganyika and elsewhere throughout Tanzania as well. Eid al-Hajj is a time of family gatherings, feasts, jubilation, and reflection on the meaning of obedience to Allah to Muslims all over Tanzania.

History

Eid al-Hajj, often called Eid al-Adha outside Turkey, is the holiest festival in the Islamic calendar, marking the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca that every capable Muslim is obligated to perform at least once in their lifetime. The holiday commemorates the event described in the Quran in which Prophet Ibrahim demonstrated supreme obedience to Allah by being willing to sacrifice his son Ishmael. At the moment of sacrifice, Allah intervened and provided a ram to take Ishmael place, an act that Muslims believe demonstrates both Ibrahim faith and Allah mercy. This narrative, shared with Judaism and Christianity through their own accounts of Abraham, is central to Islamic theology and serves as the spiritual foundation of Eid al-Hajj. The pilgrimage to Mecca was established by the Prophet Muhammad in the year 632 CE and has been performed annually for fourteen centuries. In Tanzania, Eid al-Hajj was recognized as a public holiday following independence, reflecting the country significant Muslim population, especially on the island of Zanzibar where the holiday carries deep cultural resonance. Tanzania unification in 1964, when the Republic of Tanganyika and the People Republic of Zanzibar merged to form the United Republic of Tanzania, further solidified the holiday place in national life.

How It's Celebrated

Eid al-Hajj in Tanzania is a joyous occasion celebrated with deep reverence and communal spirit, uniting Muslim families across the mainland and the islands. The day begins with special prayer services held at mosques and open-air prayer grounds, where Muslims gather in their finest clothing to perform the Eid prayer and listen to sermons reflecting on the spiritual significance of the pilgrimage and Ibrahim act of obedience. Following prayers, animal sacrifices are performed — typically a sheep, goat, or cow — with the meat divided among family members, friends, and the poor, ensuring that even the least fortunate can participate in the festive meals. This distribution of meat is a central tradition of Eid al-Hajj, reinforcing bonds of kinship and community charity. In Zanzibar Town, the largest and most spectacular celebrations unfold, with the historic mosques and streets coming alive with processions, ululation, and the aroma of richly prepared feasts. Families visit one another bearing gifts of food and sweets. Children receive new clothes and money as tokens of affection. Throughout the heavily Muslim coastal regions of the former Tanganyika, similar observances take place in towns and villages, creating a nationwide tapestry of celebration.

Other Years

2026 Wed

27 May

2027 Sun

16 May

2028 Fri

5 May

2025 Fri

6 Jun

2024 Sun

16 Jun

Countries

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📅 holiday Feb 10

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CHESVA +1

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