Eid al-Adha

Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, recalls Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice in obedience to God and coincides with the Hajj pilgrimage season. In Palestine it is one of the year's most important extended religious breaks. Morning prayer, welcoming visitors and making time for relatives define the beginning of the holiday, while the wider season emphasises generosity and care for people in need.

The General Personnel Council describes the government holiday as the eve of Eid and four days of leave. Where families undertake a sacrifice, they follow religious and local practical guidance and share food with relatives, neighbours and people in need. The exact date follows 10 Dhu al-Hijjah and must be confirmed annually. The Hijri calendar is lunar, so the Gregorian date is a planning estimate. The annual Council of Ministers’ decision and local religious announcements determine the operative date and public-service closure.

For 2026 the Palestinian Ministry of Education calendar places Eid al-Adha on Wednesday, May 27, making the administrative eve Tuesday, May 26. The PA framework does not guarantee identical opening hours for private businesses, banks, crossings, hospitals or humanitarian agencies. Severe movement restrictions and conflict-related displacement can prevent travel, pilgrimage or customary sacrifice, especially for families in Gaza. Describing these constraints neutrally is important: the legal holiday remains real, but practical observance and service availability must be checked with the relevant local authority.