Many goat producers have succeeded in targeting various ethnic markets by planning their production and breeding schedules around specific religious holidays. The traditions of these holidays vary widely between different religious belief systems and can affect the preferred size, weight, sex, and harvesting method of the animals usually consumed.

The holiday calendar below is a great resource for producers to plan the breeding and sale of specific animal groups for slaughter at auction or directly to the consumer. Dependent on the number of days within each religious year, the actual timing of these holidays may shift from year to year.

​Holiday	Religion	2024	2025	2026	2027
Chinese New Year		Feb 10	Jan 29	Feb 17	Feb 6
Eid ul-Adha - Festival of the Sacrifice	Muslim	June 16 - 17	June 6 - 7	May 27 - 30	May 16 - 19
Muharramm/Hajra - Islamic New Year	Muslim	July 7 - 8	June 26 - 27	June 16	June 5
Mawlid al-Nabi - Prophet's Birthday	Muslim	Sept 15 - 16	Sept 4 - 5	Aug 25	Aug 14
Ramadan - Month of Fasting	Muslim	Mar 10 - April 8	Feb 28 - Mar 29	Feb 17 - Mar 18	Feb 7 - Mar 8
Eid ul-Fitr - Festival of Fast Breaking	Muslim	April 9 - 10	Mar 30 - 31	March 19 - 20	March 9 - 10
Pesch (Passover)	Jewish	April 22 - 30	April 12 - 20	April 1 - 9	April 21 - 29
Rosh Hashanah	Jewish	Oct 2 - 4	Sept 22 - 24	Sep 11 - 13	Oct 1 - 3
Chanukkah	Jewish	Dec 25 - Jan 2	Dec 14 - 22	Dec 4 - 12	Dec 24 - Jan1
Western (Roman) Easter	Christian	April 17	April 4	April 5	March 28
Easter Orthodox (Greek) Easter	Christian	May 5	April 20	April 12	May 2
Christmas (Western)	Christian	Dec 25	Dec 25	Dec 25	Dec 25
Epiphany, Feast of the Nativity	Christian	Jan 6	Jan 6	Jan 6	Jan 6

Here’s a guide to the preferred size, weight, sexes, and animals preferred at each holiday (courtesy of Ohio State University and Cornell University):

Christian Holidays:

Western/Roman Easter:

• Preferred: Milk-fed goat kids weighing 20-40 lbs

• Acceptable: Milk-fed goat kids weighing 40-50 lbs

• Less Acceptable: Milk-fed kids weighing less than 20 lbs

Eastern/Greek (Orthodox) Easter:

• Preferred: Milk-fed goat kids weighing 25-50 lbs

Christmas:

• Preferred: Milk-fed goat kids weighing 50 lbs and under

Islamic Holidays: Eid ul Adha – The Festival of Sacrifice:

• Preferred: Unblemished yearling goat kids weighing 60-80 lbs

• Acceptable: Unblemished yearling goat kids weighing 60-100 lbs

Muharram – Islamic New Year:

• Preferred: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 60 lbs

• Acceptable: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 40-120 lbs

• Acceptable: unblemished older animals

• No preference is given to intact or castrated male kids

Ramadan:

• Preferred: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 60 lbs

• Acceptable: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 40-120 lbs

• Acceptable: unblemished older animals

• No preference is given to intact or castrated male kids

Eid al Fitr – The Breaking of the Ramadan Fast:

• Preferred: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 60 lbs

• Acceptable: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 40-120 lbs

• Acceptable: unblemished older animals

• No preference is given to intact or castrated male kids

Jewish Holidays: Chanukah:

• Preferred: Young milk-fed goat kids