๐ฎ๐ณ India
Hindu families ask a pandit for a muhurat from the couple's horoscopes, and the season peaks from Dev Uthani Ekadashi in November to spring. Marriages are avoided in the four months of Chaturmas, and in Kharmas.
Muhurta, being writtenAuspicious dates, seasons and days to avoid
Few couples choose a wedding date by the calendar alone.
Presented by ClearTrust Free for couples, families, guests and the curious.
Few couples choose a wedding date by the calendar alone. Hindu families consult an astrologer for a muhurat, Chinese families the almanac, Jewish couples avoid the Three Weeks and the Omer, Muslims avoid Ramadan and the days of Hajj, and Catholics and Orthodox have held back in Lent and Advent. This page shows how faith, harvest, weather and superstition decide when a wedding is held.
The lucky date
In India the wedding must fall in a shubh muhurat, an auspicious window worked out from the couple's birth charts and the position of the moon. Chinese families check the almanac for yi and ji, suitable and unsuitable days, and many prefer dates with a pun on forever, such as 9 September (jiu jiu), or 8 August for luck. In Japan the taian day in the six-day rokuyo cycle is favoured and butsumetsu is avoided. Dates with matching numbers, like 12.12 or 20.02.2020, fill the registry offices of Europe and the United States.
Seasons shaped by farming and faith
Weddings tend to follow the harvest, when families have food and money and the weather is kind. In northern India the main season runs from Dev Uthani Ekadashi in November to spring, and Hindu weddings pause in the inauspicious months of Chaturmas and Kharmas. In Europe the peak months are June to September, and in Greece, Poland and Finland summer weekends are booked years ahead. In Central Asia and parts of Africa weddings follow the harvest, and in the Gulf and North Africa many take place after Eid or after the pilgrimage.
Days and months to avoid
Observant Jews do not marry on Shabbat or holidays, nor during the Three Weeks before Tisha B'Av or most of the Omer. Muslims typically avoid weddings during Ramadan, and Shia families often avoid Muharram and Safar. Orthodox and Catholic churches have long discouraged weddings in Lent, Advent and fasting weeks, and the Orthodox church does not marry on many fast days. Chinese families avoid the Ghost Month, the seventh lunar month, and some Hindu families avoid Pitru Paksha. Buddhist weddings may avoid the rains retreat. Rules vary by community, so check with the officiant.
The day of the week
Friday is the day of the nikah in much of the Muslim world, Saturday the most common day in Europe and North America, and Sunday the day for many Filipino, Greek and Polish celebrations. Hindu families may avoid Tuesday and Saturday in some regions. In Greece a Saturday wedding was once avoided in some villages, in Iceland Thursday and Friday were popular, and in Japan the day matters less than the rokuyo. Cost is a modern factor: a weekday or off-season date can cut the price a lot, and more couples now choose one.
Auspicious dates, seasons and days to avoid around the world
๐ต๐ฐ Pakistan
Muslim weddings are held on any day outside Ramadan, with winter the peak because of the cool weather and the return of overseas relatives. Many families book after Eid and avoid Muharram, particularly Shia families.
Nikah, being written๐น๐ญ Thailand
Families consult a monk or astrologer for a lucky day and hour, and the wedding is not held in the Buddhist Lent, or Phansa, in the rains. A morning ceremony with monks' blessing is considered fortunate.
Thai wedding, being written๐จ๐ณ China
The almanac is consulted for a suitable day, and the 8th and 9th of any month are favoured, as are the 520 and 8 August dates. The seventh lunar month, the Ghost Month, is avoided by many families.
Tung Shing, being written๐ฏ๐ต Japan
Couples choose a taian day from the rokuyo cycle for luck, and avoid butsumetsu, the day of the Buddha's death. Autumn and spring are the main seasons, and registry offices are busy on lucky dates.
Rokuyล, being written๐บ๐ฟ Uzbekistan
Weddings follow the harvest, with the main season in autumn after the cotton and fruit harvests, and in the cooler months. Families often avoid the fasting month of Ramadan and the days of mourning.
Uzbek wedding, being writtenTraditions to start with
Also part of it, and being written: Muhurta (The Hindu choice of an auspicious time.), Chaturmas (The four months when weddings are not held.), Tung Shing (The Chinese almanac of lucky days.), Rokuyล (The Japanese six-day cycle of luck.), The Three Weeks (The Jewish period when weddings are paused.), Counting of the Omer (The seven weeks without weddings.), Ghost Festival (The month when Chinese families avoid weddings.), Lent (The Christian season of restraint.).
Questions people ask
What is a muhurat?
An auspicious time chosen by a Hindu priest or astrologer, based on the birth details of the couple and the position of the stars. Different regions and communities use different charts, so check with your own priest.
Why are so many weddings on Saturdays?
In Europe and North America it is the day when most guests are free. Other places differ: Friday in much of the Muslim world, Sunday for some Greek and Filipino weddings.
Do Muslims marry during Ramadan?
Usually not for the celebration, since days are spent fasting and evenings in prayer, but the nikah itself is allowed, so some couples sign the contract and hold the party later.
What is the cheapest time to hold a wedding?
In most places, weekdays and off-peak months, when venues, caterers and photographers cut prices. It can reduce the bill by a lot, though the guest list may shrink.
Why is the seventh lunar month avoided in China?
Folk belief holds that spirits roam in the Ghost Month, so many families avoid weddings, moves and big purchases. Not everyone follows it, and practice differs between regions.
About this page
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Auspicious dates, seasons and days to avoid on EveryShaadi
The traditions written up so far, best known first.