Government Decree: Eid al-Fitr to Fall on 21 March 2026

Eid al-Fitr, 1 Syawal 1447 Hijriah, or Lebaran 2026, has been set by the government for 21 March 2026. This determination was decided based on the results of the sidang isbat held by the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag). The sidang isbat for determining 1 Syawal 1447 Hijriah took place at the Ministry of Religious Affairs office on Jalan MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, on Thursday (19 March 2026). Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar directly chaired the sidang isbat. The sidang isbat was attended by leaders of Commission VIII of the DPR, leaders of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the Director General of Islamic Guidance, and representatives of other Islamic organisations. The determination was made after the sidang isbat participants heard presentations on the results of hilal monitoring. “It was agreed that the date of 1 Syawal 1447 H falls on Saturday, 21 March 2025,” he said, as reported by detikNews. The sidang isbat mechanism began with a presentation on the hilal position by the Unification of the Hijriah Calendar Team of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, based on astronomical calculations (hisab). Experts conducted direct hilal observations at hundreds of points across Indonesia, such as 117 locations for Syawal 1447 H, and the results were collected from field officers. The Hisab Rukyat Team of Kemenag has reported the monitoring of the hilal position for determining Lebaran 2026. Based on hisab, the hilal did not meet the criteria of the Ministers of Religious Affairs of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore (MABIMS) in Indonesian territory. “We see. The image is clear, all magenta, all red. If the curve from earlier is combined across the entire territory of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia, it does not meet the MABIMS Qomariyah new month criteria; the colour is magenta,” said a member of the Kemenag Hisab Rukyat Team, Cecep Nurwendaya, during the sidang isbat seminar at Kemenag. Cecep said that the hilal position in parts of Aceh Province has met the minimum hilal height parameter of 3 degrees under MABIMS criteria, but it did not meet the minimum elongation parameter of 6.4 degrees. However, according to Cecep, MABIMS criteria require both to be fulfilled, namely the minimum hilal height and elongation. “Thus, the date of 1 Syawal 1447 Hijriah based on MABIMS hisab falls on Saturday Pahing, 21 March 2026 CE. The height is met, but the elongation is not. Whereas MABIMS requires both to be met. That is the mandatory requirement for both. No ‘or’, it’s ‘and’,” he said. In its implementation, the sidang isbat combines two main methods: hisab and rukyat. The hisab method uses astronomical calculations to determine the moon’s position mathematically, without direct observation. Meanwhile, the rukyat method involves direct observation of the hilal (first crescent moon) on the horizon after sunset. This observation is carried out by experts at various designated locations to ensure hilal visibility. Both methods have strong scientific and religious foundations and have been used in Islamic history. The combination of hisab and rukyat in the sidang isbat reflects the government’s efforts to maintain a balance between science and religious teachings. Through this forum, the government seeks to ensure uniformity and certainty in the implementation of Islamic worship for the Muslim community, by combining hisab and rukyat methods and involving various related parties.