What Ashura is

The tenth of Muharram. For Sunni Muslims it commemorates the parting of the sea for Moses and is marked by voluntary fasting; for Shia Muslims it is the day Husayn ibn Ali was killed at Karbala in 680 CE, and a day of mourning.

The two observances share a date and little else, and both are widely kept.

When it falls, and why the date moves

The countdown at the top of this page is live, and the date beneath it is the next occurrence. The date follows the Islamic lunar calendar, which is about eleven days shorter than the Gregorian year. That is why it arrives earlier each year and works its way through all four seasons over roughly three decades. Dates published in advance are calculated; the confirmed date depends on the sighting of the moon and can differ by a day between countries.

It is grouped here under Islamic, alongside the other observances that share its calendar.

What is coming up next

Once this date passes, the countdown moves straight on to the next occurrence — you do not need a different page for next year. See the full list of upcoming events, or use the countdown timer for a date of your own.

Where to go next

This ashura countdown has its own page, so the link keeps working next year as well as this one. If you came here wondering what time it is somewhere rather than how long is left, current time around the world has the current time in every country and city.

• event countdowns — live countdowns to holidays and festivals worldwide
• countdown timer — count down from any length you set
• World Clock — pick a country or city and read its clock, offset and daylight saving rules
• time zone converter — turn a time in one place into the same instant in another
• world time clock — the current time in every country, territory and US state