Our Muslim families observe Ramadan from Feb. 28-March 30. Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims. In Ramadan, Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an, and fast from food and drink during the sunlit hours as a means of drawing closer to God and cultivating self-control, gratitude, and compassion for those less fortunate. Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, which is based on a 12-month lunar year of approximately 354 days. Because the lunar year is 11 days shorter than the solar year, each lunar month moves 11 days earlier each year. The month traditionally begins and ends based on the sighting of the new moon.
This year, Ramadan is expected to begin at sundown on Feb. 28/Mar. 1 and end at sundown on Mar. 30 or 31st. The final evening of Ramadan consists of a celebration called Eid al-Fitr, when the traditional month-long fast is ended with a feast. The exact beginning and ending times of the month of Ramadan are based on the sighting of the first crescent Moon on the last night of the eighth month (Sha’ban). Specifically, Ramadan is said to begin at the first observance of the crescent Moon over Mecca, Saudi Arabia (or on a date pre-determined by astronomical calculation). Because of this, start and end dates are not set in stone and may vary by a day.