Jakarta, MINA – Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, may once again mark Eid al-Fitr on different dates in 2026 due to varying methods used to determine the start of Shawwal.
The difference stems from two main approaches: astronomical calculations and physical sighting of the crescent moon, which signals the end of Ramadan.
Thomas Djamaluddin, an astronomy expert at Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), said the crescent moon may not meet the government’s visibility criteria on the evening of the official confirmation meeting, known as the isbat session. If the moon is not sighted, the government could declare Eid a day later than some early projections.
Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah, has already announced that Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijri is expected to fall on Friday, March 20, 2026. The group uses a calculation-based method known as hisab hakiki and follows its Global Unified Hijri Calendar.
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The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Religious Affairs, will make the final decision after holding the isbat session, which brings together religious scholars, astronomers and representatives from major Islamic organizations. The panel reviews both astronomical data and crescent sighting reports before formally announcing the holiday.
Differences in determining the start of Islamic months are not new in Indonesia. Similar variations occurred at the beginning of Ramadan 2026, reflecting longstanding diversity in religious interpretation and practice.
For many Indonesians, the date of Eid al-Fitr is significant not only religiously but socially and economically. The holiday marks the end of Ramadhan and is accompanied by large-scale homecoming travel, family gatherings and nationwide celebrations.
Under the Islamic lunar calendar, months begin with the sighting of the new crescent moon or through astronomical calculation. While the government’s announcement is widely observed, some Muslim communities in Indonesia follow global crescent sightings or independent calculations, which can result in different celebration dates.[]
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