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When is Ramadan 2030?
Ramadan 2030 falls on Saturday, January 5, 2030.
About Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the holiest month of the year for Muslims. Through the month, adult Muslims who are able to do so fast from dawn until sunset, going without food, drink and other physical needs during daylight hours. The fast is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Ramadan is also a time of extra prayer, recitation of the Quran, charity and reflection. Each day's fast is broken after sunset with a meal called iftar, often started with dates and water, and a pre-dawn meal called suhoor is eaten before the fast resumes. The month ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr.
Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, Ramadan is not fixed to the Gregorian year. It moves roughly 11 days earlier each year, so over time it passes through every season. The start of the month traditionally depends on the sighting of the new crescent moon, which means the first day can differ by a day from one country to another, and some communities follow astronomical calculation instead. Ramadan is observed by well over a billion Muslims around the world. In many Muslim-majority countries working hours are shortened during the month, and daily life shifts around the pre-dawn and after-sunset meals.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the most sacred month for Muslims. During it, adult Muslims who are physically able fast from dawn until sunset, going without food, drink and other physical needs in daylight hours. The fast is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month is also given to extra prayer, recitation of the Quran, charity and self-examination. Muslims believe the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during Ramadan, which is part of why the month is so important.
Why does Ramadan change date every year?
Ramadan follows the Islamic calendar, which is lunar, with twelve months based on the cycles of the moon. A lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian solar year, so Ramadan falls roughly 11 days earlier each year on the Gregorian calendar. Over a period of about 33 years it moves through every season. The exact start also depends on the sighting of the new crescent moon, so the first day can differ by a day between countries and communities.
What is fasting during Ramadan?
Fasting in Ramadan, known as sawm, means going without food, drink, smoking and marital relations from dawn until sunset on each day of the month. Muslims rise before dawn for a meal called suhoor and break the fast after sunset with a meal called iftar, traditionally begun with dates and water. The fast is required of healthy adult Muslims. Children, the elderly, the ill, travellers, and pregnant or nursing women are among those excused, though some make up missed days later.
When does Ramadan end?
Ramadan lasts for one lunar month, which is 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the next new moon. It ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which begins on the first day of the following month, Shawwal. Eid al-Fitr is a celebration that marks the breaking of the fast, with communal prayers, family gatherings and meals. So the end of Ramadan flows straight into one of the two major festivals of the Muslim year.
Is Ramadan a public holiday?
Ramadan is a month of fasting rather than a single day, so it is not a public holiday in the way a festival is. In many Muslim-majority countries, however, working hours are officially shortened during the month, and schools and offices adjust their timetables. The public holidays linked to the month come at its end, with Eid al-Fitr. In countries where Muslims are a minority, Ramadan has no official status, though employers may make allowances for those who fast.