When is Hajj Day?
In 2026, Hajj Day falls on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. It is classified here as a Maldivian public holiday.
History of Hajj Day
Hajj Day is the Maldivian public-holiday name for 9 Dhu al-Hijjah, the Day of Arafat and the central day of the Hajj pilgrimage. Maldivian pilgrims join worshippers at Arafat near Mecca, while Muslims at home may observe a voluntary fast, pray and prepare for Eid al-Adha. The date is religiously distinct from Eid itself, which begins on 10 Dhu al-Hijjah, even though both belong to one connected government-holiday period.
For island communities, the day also brings practical preparation: households organise Eid meals, visits and travel, and local authorities or service providers publish changed hours. The Maldives' transport geography makes advance planning important because ferries and flights can be busy. Resorts, hospitals, airports and utilities maintain rosters; employees working a recognised public holiday remain covered by the Employment Act rather than losing the day's legal significance.
The official 2026 calendar places Hajj Day on Tuesday, May 26 and Eid al-Adha on Wednesday, May 27. A separate presidential decision added May 24 and 25 as government holidays, allowing government staff an uninterrupted break, but those two administrative days were not the religious Hajj Day. Government offices reopened Sunday, May 31. Future Gregorian dates depend on the Maldivian religious determination and annual calendar, not a Saudi or calculated calendar used without confirmation.
How Hajj Day is observed
A public holiday on May 26 in the confirmed 2026 calendar, immediately before Eid al-Adha and within a longer government-office closure.
Traditions of Hajj Day
Fasting and prayer
Many Maldivians not performing Hajj observe a voluntary fast on Arafat Day, accompany it with prayer and break it at sunset.
Pilgrim connection
Families follow the Hajj rites and remain in contact with relatives travelling from the Maldives as part of officially organised pilgrimage groups.
Eid preparation
Households finish food preparation, clothing, gifts and inter-island travel before the following morning's Eid prayer and community visits.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Maldivian official and legal guidance. Lunar dates and annual government or employer schedules should be confirmed against official notices.
History sources: Maldives Ministry of Education: 2026 Academic Calendar and Public Holidays, Civil Service Commission of the Maldives: leave and holidays regulation, Labour Relations Authority: Employment Act and public-holiday work rules, President's Office: additional 2026 government holidays before Hajj Day and Eid al-Adha.
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