So What Exactly Is Ramadan?
A 3-minute summary of the month celebrated by millions
1. What is Ramadan? Ramadan is the 9th month of the hijri calendar — a lunar calendar observed by Muslims all over the world. It’s the equivalent of September in our standard Gregorian calendar.
A Muslim year consists of 12 months. Each month starts when the moon is in its crescent phase, and lasts 29 or 30 days until the next crescent moon is observed. This makes the lunar year at 10 or 11 days shorter than our standard 365-day year.
2. When is Ramadan? Because the Muslim year is shorter than the Gregorian year, Ramadan starts roughly 10 or 11 days earlier each Gregorian year. For example, in 2021, the start of Ramadan coincided with April 12th. In 2022, it’s expected to start April 2nd.
3. Why is Ramadan special? Muslims consider Ramadan a holy month because it was the month in which the Quran was first revealed to prophet Muhammad. For this reason, it’s a month dedicated to exceptional focus on worship, reflection, and connection with God and the community.
Ramadan is about self-evaluation and intentionality. It’s that time of the year…
