DigiNepal · festivals
Islamic New Year (Hijri New Year) (رأس السنة الهجرية (Arabic)). Region: Worldwide Muslim communities. Tradition: Islam. Calendar: Islamic Hijri (Muharram 1). Dates: Saudi Arabia, UAE and Gulf (Umm al-Qura) 2026: Tuesday 16 June 2026 [expected; actual date depends on moon sighting and may differ by one day by country]; Saudi Arabia, UAE and Gulf (Umm al-Qura) 2027: Sunday 6 June 2027 [expected; actual date depends on moon sighting and may differ by one day by country]; Saudi Arabia, UAE and Gulf (Umm al-Qura) 2028: Thursday 25 May 2028 [expected; actual date depends on moon sighting and may differ by one day by country]. History and significance: The Islamic New Year marks the first day of Muharram and the start of a new Hijri year. The Hijri era counts from the Prophet Muhammad's migration (hijra) from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, a starting point chosen by Caliph Umar. The day is generally observed quietly with prayer and reflection. It is a public holiday in the UAE and many Muslim countries. Key rituals and foods: Prayers and sermons, reflection on the hijra; some families share special meals. Date basis: official = matches a government gazetted holiday list; computed = calculated from the calendar system (tithi astronomy with skyfield and JPL DE421, Hijri Umm al-Qura, Chinese, Korean and Hebrew calendar libraries, or the fixed rule); expected = Umm al-Qura projection pending moon sighting. Sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata (CC BY-SA, CC0) and government holiday lists, summarised in our own words.