When is Sacrifice Feast Eve?
In 2026, Sacrifice Feast Eve falls on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. It is classified here as a Turkish public holiday.
History of Sacrifice Feast Eve
Sacrifice Feast Eve, known in Turkish as arife, is the afternoon immediately before Kurban Bayramı. Law No. 2429 gives this afternoon official holiday status from 1pm, recognising that preparation, travel and family visits are already part of the Bayram rhythm rather than simply a private prelude.
The practical effect is often visible in crowded roads, bus stations and markets. Families prepare food, tidy homes and make plans to visit relatives, while many workers and services move to shortened hours. The exact civil date shifts with the Hijri lunar calendar and should always be checked against the annual calendar published by Türkiye’s Presidency of Religious Affairs.
Law No. 2429 defines Kurban Bayramı as four and a half days: arife becomes a public holiday at 13:00 and is followed by four full days. The morning remains a working period unless an employer or later administrative decision provides otherwise. No substitute Monday is automatically created when the lunar dates overlap a weekend. Diyanet’s annual list supplies Türkiye’s official civil dates; the planning algorithm can assist future display but must not override the published national calendar.
How Sacrifice Feast Eve is observed
An official half-day holiday from 1pm on arife, immediately before Kurban Bayramı. Confirm the annual lunar-calendar date with Diyanet.
Traditions of Sacrifice Feast Eve
Family preparation
Families make arrangements for prayer, meals, visitors and the days of shared hospitality ahead. Practice varies among families, municipalities, schools and religious communities across Türkiye.
Travel and reunion
Many people begin journeys to relatives or hometowns before the four-day public holiday starts. Practice varies among families, municipalities, schools and religious communities across Türkiye.
Giving plans
Households who observe the sacrifice prepare to share food and support people in need. Practice varies among families, municipalities, schools and religious communities across Türkiye.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Turkish legal and official guidance. Lunar-date planning estimates and employer or public-service schedules should be confirmed locally.
History sources: Law No. 2429 on National Holidays and General Holidays, Grand National Assembly: enacted text of Law No. 2429, Presidency of Religious Affairs: annual religious-day calendar, Borsa İstanbul: official holiday calendar.
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