Middle East & North Africa

The Islamic festival calendar — the two Eids, Ramadan, Mawlid — alongside Persian Nowruz and the older observances of the Levant and the Maghreb.

5 cultural holidays 20 countries

About this region

The Islamic festival calendar — the two Eids, Ramadan, Mawlid — alongside Persian Nowruz and the older observances of the Levant and the Maghreb.

Each holiday below opens onto a detail page covering its origin and meaning, traditional greetings in the original language with English translation, design tips for printable cards, a starting palette, and five ready-to-use verses. Slugs that match an entry in the wider 1,920-occasion CardVerse directory cross-link both ways.

Cultural holidays in Middle East & North Africa

Tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, during the days of Hajj

Eid al-Adha

The greater of the two Eids, marking the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son and the close of the annu

First day of Shawwal — the day after the new moon ending Ramadan

Eid al-Fitr

The joyful festival ending the fast of Ramadan, observed by nearly two billion Muslims worldwide.

12th of Rabi' al-Awwal (Sunni); 17th (Shia)

Mawlid al-Nabi

The commemoration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, marked by recitations of his life, devotional poetry,

Spring equinox, around 20–21 March

Nowruz

The Persian and Central Asian new year, observed at the spring equinox by 300 million people across thirteen c

Ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar (29 or 30 days)

Ramadan

The Islamic month of fasting, prayer, and reflection — not a single day but a thirty-day spiritual season.

Countries in this region

The CardVerse directory tracks holidays by country as well — open any country page below to see every observance the directory has indexed for it.