Islamic Holiday · 2026 · All Years Guide
Ramadan (1st of Ramadan) 2026
The first day of the Islamic holy month of fasting.
In 2026, Ramadan (1st of Ramadan) falls on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, corresponding to 1 Ramadan 1447 in the Islamic Hijri calendar. The exact start may shift by one day in either direction based on regional moon-sighting committee announcements — countries that follow the Saudi Umm al-Qura calculation typically align with the date listed here, while South Asian moon-sighting traditions occasionally observe the festival one day later.
Significance of Ramadan (1st of Ramadan)
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is widely regarded by Muslims as the holiest month of the year. The fast of Ramadan, known in Arabic as Sawm, is observed from the first sighting of the new crescent moon and continues for either twenty-nine or thirty days, depending on the lunar cycle. From dawn (Fajr) until sunset (Maghrib), adult Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking, and marital relations as an act of submission, gratitude, and spiritual purification. The Qur'an describes Ramadan as the month "in which the Qur'an was sent down as a guidance for the people," referring to the night of Laylat al-Qadr that falls within its final ten nights. Beyond physical fasting, Ramadan is a season of intensified prayer, charitable giving (zakat and sadaqah), recitation of the Qur'an, and nightly congregational prayers known as Tarawih.
Traditions and Observances
Households prepare suhoor before dawn, often featuring slow-release foods such as oats, dates, eggs, and yogurt to sustain energy through the fasting hours. The fast is broken at iftar with dates and water, following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, then transitions to a fuller meal of regional specialties — harira soup in Morocco, samosas and pakoras in South Asia, fattoush and qatayef across the Levant, and bubur lambuk porridge in Malaysia. Mosques host Tarawih prayers each night, gradually completing the recitation of the entire Qur'an by month's end. Many families intensify charitable giving, schedule extended Qur'an reading sessions called khatm, and avoid arguments and idle speech to preserve the spiritual focus of the month.
Ramadan (1st of Ramadan) 2026 — At a Glance
If you are planning travel, scheduling community events, requesting time off work, or simply marking your family calendar for 2026, the table below summarises every key detail for Ramadan (1st of Ramadan) this year, alongside the surrounding observances on either side of the festival in the Hijri calendar.
| Detail | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Gregorian date | February 17, 2026 |
| Day of week | Tuesday |
| Hijri date | 1 Ramadan 1447 |
| Tradition | Islam (Sunni & Shia observance noted where they differ) |
Regional Observance
In Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, the official start is announced by the Supreme Court after moon sighting committees report. Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, calls the festive return to one's hometown for Eid "mudik," and the entire economy slows during Ramadan working hours. In Egypt, ornate fanous lanterns are hung from every balcony. In Turkey, the centuries-old tradition of mesaharati drummers waking neighborhoods for suhoor continues in many districts. South Asian Muslims often complete a full Qur'an recitation in Tarawih within the first 27 nights, while many West African communities pair fasting with public dhikr gatherings.
Ramadan (1st of Ramadan) Across the Years 2024–2030
The Islamic Hijri calendar is a purely lunar calendar of approximately 354 days, so its observances drift forward by roughly 10–11 days each Gregorian year. The Hindu lunar calendar uses periodic intercalary months (adhik maas) that keep festivals broadly anchored to the seasons. The table below shows the Gregorian date of Ramadan (1st of Ramadan) across every year HijriHub covers, allowing you to plan multi-year commemorations, anniversaries, or research at a glance.
| Year | Gregorian date | Hijri date | Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | March 11, 2024 | 1 Ramadan 1445 | Monday |
| 2025 | February 28, 2025 | 1 Ramadan 1446 | Friday |
| 2026 | February 17, 2026 | 1 Ramadan 1447 | Tuesday |
| 2027 | February 7, 2027 | 1 Ramadan 1448 | Sunday |
| 2028 | January 27, 2028 | 1 Ramadan 1449 | Thursday |
| 2029 | January 15, 2029 | 1 Ramadan 1450 | Monday |
| 2030 | January 5, 2030 | 1 Ramadan 1451 | Saturday |
How HijriHub calculates Ramadan (1st of Ramadan) 2026
Our Hijri-to-Gregorian conversions follow the calculation methodology used by the Aladhan Islamic Calendar API, which itself draws from the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia for religious observances. For festivals tied to lunar crescent observation — particularly the start of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Hijri New Year — the actual observed date in any given country may differ by one day based on local moon-sighting committee determinations. We list the most widely observed Sunni date here; Shia communities typically follow Ja'fari calculation methodology that may differ by a day. Always confirm with your local masjid or central religious authority before finalising community plans.
Other Years
- Ramadan (1st of Ramadan) 2024 Mar 11, 2024
- Ramadan (1st of Ramadan) 2025 Feb 28, 2025
- Ramadan (1st of Ramadan) 2027 Feb 7, 2027
- Ramadan (1st of Ramadan) 2028 Jan 27, 2028
- Ramadan (1st of Ramadan) 2029 Jan 15, 2029
- Ramadan (1st of Ramadan) 2030 Jan 5, 2030
Other Holidays in February 2026
- Laylat al-Bara'ah (Shab-e-Barat) 2026 Feb 2, 2026
- Maha Shivaratri 2026 Feb 15, 2026