Understanding Eid & how we manage Eid holidays

This article explains what Eid is, how its dates are determined, and how Eid holidays are managed across the organization. It ensures clarity for employees, clients, and stakeholders on planning, communication, and operational readiness.

This guidance applies to both major Eid holidays and can also be extended to other Muslim religious holidays where relevant.

What is Eid?

Eid is one of the most significant religious observances observed by Muslims worldwide. There are two major Eid holidays each year:

1. Eid al-Fitr

• Marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting.
• Celebrated with prayers, family gatherings, and charity.

2. Eid al-Adha

• Occurs approximately 2 months after Eid al-Fitr.
• Commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to make a sacrifice.
• Coincides with the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

In many Muslim majority countries, both Eids are recognized as public holidays, typically lasting 3 - 4 days.

Why do Eid dates change every year?

Eid follows the Islamic (Hijri) lunar calendar, which is based on moon cycles.

The lunar year is ~354 days, about 10–11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar.

As a result, Eid shifts ~10–11 days earlier each year.

Exact dates depend on moon sighting, meaning:

• Dates are not fixed in advance
• Official confirmation happens close to the holiday (often 1–2 days before)

This variability is the key reason why we use tentative planning + final confirmation workflows.

How does Remote manage Eid holidays?

Governments usually confirm the official Eid holidays close to the expected date. While Eid is a three-day observance, public holidays often span 3 to 4 days, sometimes longer, depending on the government's announcement.

• Tentative date planning (End of Year): At the end of each year (e.g., Dec 2025), tentative Eid dates for the following year (e.g., 2026) are added to Remote, based on lunar projections. Customers can review them under the Team absences tab, and employees can view them in their Time off calendar.
• Pre-holiday monitoring: We start tracking moon sighting updates and government announcements for each country leading up to the tentative Eid dates.
• Government announcements: Following the official government review, the confirmed dates may either align with the tentative date updated on our platform or shift by one to two days in either direction.
• Platform updates: If dates change or additional public holidays are announced, we update the calendar in Remote (Customers: Team absences tab, Employees: Time off tab) and our country-specific Help Center articles.

Confirmed Eid al-Fitr dates for 2026

Expected Eid al-Adha dates for 2026

Can companies offer more time off than statutory Eid public holidays?

Remote only manages statutory public holidays on the platform. The most up-to-date, confirmed statutory public holiday dates for your team are visible in the Team absences tab.

If your company grants extra time off beyond the statutory holidays (e.g., as additional public holidays, PTO, etc., depending on your internal policy), you must record these days in Remote. You can do this by following these steps to book time off on behalf of an employee, using the appropriate leave type.

Observing Eid in countries where it is not a national public holiday

In some countries, Eid is not recognised as an official public holiday. However, it remains an important religious observance for Muslim employees.

How employees can observe Eid

Employees who wish to observe Eid in such locations can do so by requesting time off through available leave options, such as:

• Additional Public Holiday (if applicable)
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Other leave categories, depending on the company’s internal policy and country-specific guidelines

Calendar & platform considerations

Eid may not be pre-listed on the company calendar for countries where it is not a mandated public holiday.

Since Eid dates depend on the lunar calendar and moon sighting, employees are encouraged to:

• Plan ahead where possible
• Submit leave requests in advance, keeping tentative dates in mind

Is there any impact on payment dates?