Eid al-Adha, also known as the “Feast of Sacrifice” or “Eid al-Kebir”, is a major celebration for Muslims around the world who eagerly await the announcement of the date of Eid al-Adha, because this depends on the observation of the lunar crescent.
According to astronomical estimates made by the Egyptian National Organization, the lunar crescent of the month of Dhu al-Hijja will appear just after the conjunction, precisely at 6:38 a.m. local Cairo time, on Sunday 29 Dhu al-Qi’da 1444 Hegira, i.e. June 18, 2023.
According to these same estimates, the lunar crescent will be observable in the sky of Mecca for 29 minutes after sunset on that day (day of observation). As for Arab and Islamic metropolises and cities, the duration of visibility of the lunar crescent after sunset will vary between 7 and 44 minutes. Therefore, the first day of the month of Dhu al-Hijja 1444 AH, from an astronomical point of view, will fall on Monday, June 19, 2023.
Egyptian National Institute: Dates of Arafat and Eid al-Adha
Also according to the Egyptian National Institute, the day of Arafat for the year 1444 of the Hegira will fall astronomically on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, while Eid al-Adha will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 28, 2023.
It is expected that the sighting of the lunar crescent of the month of Dhu al-Hijja will take place during the last week of Dhu al-Qi’da in order to confirm the dates of Arafat and Eid al-Adha 2023.
The Islamic, or lunar, calendar relies on the lunar cycle to determine the months and is adopted by some Arab countries like Saudi Arabia as the official state calendar. It was established by Caliph Omar ibn al-Khattab, who chose the Hijra of the Prophet Muhammad, from Mecca to Medina on 12 Rabi’ al-Awwal (24 September 622 AD) as his point of reference. for the first calendar year. This is why it is called the Hijri calendar.
