Eid for Kids

Muslims celebrate two Eids. Eid al-Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal, the day after Ramadan ends. Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, during the Hajj. Both begin with a congregational prayer in the morning, and both have a Sunnah that is easy for a family to follow — bathing and dressing well, the takbir, the prayer, a different way home, and a day that is meant to be enjoyed. This page sets it out with the source for each, and has a free Eid morning checklist to print.

What is Eid, explained for kids?

Eid is a day of celebration that Allah gave the Muslims — two of them each year. When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم came to Madinah, the people there had two days a year on which they played. He told them that Allah had given them two better days in their place: Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr (Abu Dawud and an-Nasa’i).

For a young child, each Eid can be tied to what came before it. Eid al-Fitr is the reward at the end of Ramadan: a whole month of fasting and trying, and then a day when fasting is not allowed and everyone celebrates. Eid al-Adha remembers the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to give up what he loved most for Allah, and it falls while the pilgrims are at Hajj. The story of Ibrahim for children is on our Prophet Ibrahim story for kids page.

This page covers these two Eids, which every school of Islam agrees on.

What is the difference between Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha?

Fasting is not permitted on either Eid day — the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم forbade it (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). Children who have spent Ramadan practising fasts are often delighted to learn that on Eid, eating is part of the worship.

What is the Sunnah of Eid?

Eight things, all of which a family can do together. None of them is complicated, and a child can do nearly all of them. Each has its source beneath it.

What happens on Eid al-Adha, and how do I explain the sacrifice?

On Eid al-Adha, families who are able sacrifice an animal and share its meat, remembering Ibrahim’s obedience. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself sacrificed two rams (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). Many families divide the meat between their own household, relatives and friends, and people in need.

The verse to give a child is the one that explains what the sacrifice is actually for: “Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you” (Quran 22:37). The animal is not the point; the obedience and the sharing are. Many families today arrange the sacrifice through a charity so the meat goes where it is most needed, and a child can be part of choosing where.

How do I make Eid special for my child?

Start the night before, give them a job, and keep the day about people. Laying out clothes, preparing the dates, and a child being the one who says the takbir first in the car do more than any decoration. Gifts and eidi — money given to children — are a custom in many families rather than a Sunnah with a set form, and a good one: it is worth letting a child give something away as well as receive.

And let it be fun. On one Eid, two girls were singing in the Prophet’s house and Abu Bakr objected; the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told him, “Every people has its Eid, and this is our Eid” (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). On another, he stood so that ‘Aishah could watch the Abyssinians’ display of play with spears for as long as she wanted. A child who remembers Eid as a joyful day is learning exactly what it was given for.

When is Eid in 2027?

Eid al-Fitr 2027 is expected in the second week of March 2027, and Eid al-Adha 2027 in mid-May 2027. Both dates are confirmed by the moon sighting where you live, so the exact day can differ between countries. The months these days fall in are explained on our page on the Islamic months for kids, and the month before Eid al-Fitr is on Ramadan for kids.