Eid al-Adha 2027 (Offerfeest) when is it and how is it kept in the Netherlands?

What is Eid al-Adha (Offerfeest)?

Offerfeest is the Dutch name for Eid al-Adha, the feast of sacrifice. It is the second major festival of Islam and it closes the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. It falls on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic year.

The feast goes back to the story of Ibrahim (Abraham). He was ready to sacrifice his son because God asked it of him; just before it happened, an animal was provided in the son's place. That is why Muslims who can afford it sacrifice a sheep, goat or cow themselves. It is about gratitude and about sharing with people who have less.

When is Eid al-Adha in 2027?

Eid al-Adha 2027 is expected to begin on Sunday 16 May. It lasts three days, so until Tuesday 18 May, and the first day starts at sunset on Saturday 15 May.

Which day it is exactly depends on the moon. Saudi Arabia has the new crescent looked for on the evening of Thursday 6 May and announces the date then. If the month starts the next day, the feast is on Sunday 16 May. If nobody reports the crescent, the date moves a day for those who follow Saudi Arabia and it is Monday 17 May. The moon is only a few hours old that evening, which makes it hard to see.

In the Netherlands many mosques follow Saudi Arabia's announcement. Turkey uses Diyanet's calendar, calculated in advance, which comes out at 16 May. Morocco does neither: its Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs watches for the moon itself. In 2025 that came out a day after Saudi Arabia (Saturday 7 rather than Friday 6 June). Moroccan families who keep Morocco's date may therefore celebrate only on Monday 17 May in 2027.

The Islamic calendar is about eleven days shorter than the solar year, which is why the feast comes earlier every year: in 2026 it began on Wednesday 27 May.

Eid al-Adha in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands the Offerfeest centres on the family and the mosque. Many people go to the Eid prayer first and eat together afterwards; family and friends come to visit.

Many mosques lack space that morning. In 2023 people therefore prayed outside the mosque, in car parks and on football pitches, and in the Brabanthallen in Den Bosch.

Turkish Dutch people know the feast as Kurban Bayramı. Turkey's religious authority Diyanet expects Sunday 16 May; it has its own place on Evenitto's Turkish pages.

What happens on Eid al-Adha?

On the first day Muslims go to the Eid prayer after sunrise, in their best clothes. During the days of the feast they recite the takbir; after the prayer comes a sermon, and people embrace and congratulate each other.

Then comes the sacrifice for those who can afford it: a sheep, goat or cow. The meat is divided into three portions: one for the household, one for those close by and one for whoever needs it. You can also give to an aid organisation, which then shares out the food.

Some Muslims prefer to send the sacrifice to a family in their country of origin, or eat no meat during these days; not everyone thinks the same about that. The rest of the feast is about visits, presents for children and eating together.

Slaughter for Eid al-Adha: the rules in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands an animal must be stunned first. Slaughter according to Islamic or Jewish rules is the only exception, and then on conditions: only at an approved slaughterhouse, under the supervision of an NVWA vet. Killing an animal unstunned at home or on a farm is always forbidden, including at Eid al-Adha.

Anyone who wants an animal slaughtered signs up with a slaughterhouse well in advance. Sheep and goats are transported in a livestock vehicle, not in a passenger car. In 2026, 30 slaughterhouses took part, and more and more animals are stunned first: 68% in 2025, against 54% in 2023. Anyone who slaughters illegally without stunning risks a fine of up to €103,000 and up to six years in prison.

The sacrifice may only be made after the Eid prayer on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah. In the Netherlands the slaughterhouses work for it during the days of the feast itself: in 2026 from Wednesday 27 to Friday 29 May.

Time off from school or work for Eid al-Adha

Eid al-Adha is not on the list of official holidays in the Netherlands, and there are no legal rules for other holidays.

A school can give all pupils a religious holiday off, as some do for the Suikerfeest. If the school is open, your child can get an exemption for a duty that follows from their faith; a religious holiday counts as a valid reason to be absent. Ask the school director in advance.

A day off on a holiday is not set by law: check your collective agreement (cao) or employment contract. In many collective agreements you can swap a Christian holiday for a holiday from your own faith. In central government you request leave in good time; the manager can only refuse if your absence seriously gets in the way of operations.

In 2027 the feast begins on a Sunday, and Monday 17 May is Whit Monday: an official holiday on which schools are in principle closed.