Indonesia Announces Eid al-Fitr 2026 to be Celebrated on March 21st

Jakarta, Indonesia – The Indonesian government has officially announced that Eid al-Fitr (Idul Fitri) 1447 Hijriah will be observed on Saturday, March 21, 2026. The decision was made following an isbat (confirmation) session conducted by the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) on Thursday, March 19, 2026.

Determination Based on Lunar Observations

Minister of Religion Nasaruddin Umar stated that the determination of the date was based on reports from officials monitoring the recent moon (hilal) across the archipelago. These reports indicated that the new crescent moon was not visible at 117 observation points throughout Indonesia, leading to the completion of the month of Ramadan at 30 days (istikmal).¹

“It has been agreed that 1 Shawwal 1447 Hijriah will fall on Saturday, March 21, 2026,” Nasaruddin Umar announced during a press conference held at the HM Rasjidi Auditorium, Ministry of Religion Office, Jakarta.¹

Isbat Session Details

The isbat session combined astronomical calculations (hisab) with direct observation of the new moon (rukyatul hilal) from hundreds of locations across Indonesia.¹ The process began with a seminar on the position of the new moon, open to the public, where experts explained the astronomical data. The main isbat session followed, where participants reviewed reports from the monitoring locations and compared them with the calculated data.

Monitoring points were established across various regions, including Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Riau Islands, Papua, and West Papua, utilizing observatories, beaches, mosques, tall buildings, and hilly areas.¹

Alignment with Astronomical Data

The government’s decision aligns with astronomical data indicating that the position of the new moon did not meet the criteria established by the MABIMS (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore) agreement, requiring a minimum height of 3 degrees and an elongation of at least 6.4 degrees.¹

The announcement was also confirmed by Tribunnews.com and Tribun Video.²³