The main Muslim events are the ten days of mourning called Muharram; Mohammed’s birthday; the month of Ramadan; the Eid Al Fitr feast at the end of Ramadan; and the Eid Al Adha or Feast of the Sacrifice. Shi’ite Muslims also celebrate dates associated with important historical imams.

The biggest event of the year is Ramadan, the ninth month of the calendar and a time for fasting and prayer. From sunrise to sunset, everyone except young children and the infirm refrains from eating and drinking. People rise in the dark to share a meal before daybreak, then gather in the evening for a meal. In most towns and villages, the times for rising and for fasting are announced from mosques; in Kabul, a canon on Sher Darwaza Hill is fired to announce these times. During Ramadan, daily activities tend to slow down, particularly if Ramadan falls during the hot summer months.

The end of Ramadan or first day of the tenth month (Shawal) is the Eid Al Fitr, the year’s most joyful occasion. People attend prayers, visit friends and relatives, wear new clothes and exchange small gifts. The end of Ramadan’s cleanse is marked with a huge feast and three-day holiday.

Eid Al Adha (the Feast of the Sacrifice) commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac to God. For Shi’ite Muslims, Ashoora is an important period of mourning for the martyrdom of the imam Hussein, the grandson of Mohammed.

The national Now Ruz festival marks the first day of spring, also considered the beginning of the New Year. This ancient celebration comes from Zoroastrianism, the religion that was widely practised in areas of the Middle East before the rise of Islam. On New Year's Day in Kabul, families usually serve a drink made of seven dried fruits (haft mewa).

The most important national holiday is Independence Day. Businesses close for three days of celebrations. People wear colourful clothes, set off fireworks, dance, and hold parades and buzkashi matches.

Fixed Holidays
March 21	Now Ruz (New Year’s)
August 19	Independence Day