Countdown to Ramadan

Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting from dawn to sunset, begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon. Counting down to the first fast helps families prepare meals, schedules, and sleep.

About Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Hijri calendar and commemorates the revelation of the Quran to Muhammad. Fasting during it is one of the five pillars of Islam, observed by well over a billion people, which makes it among the most widely kept religious observances in the world and the one whose date most consistently confounds Gregorian calendars.

A daily fast from dawn to sunset, broken each evening at iftar and preceded by a pre-dawn meal, suhoor. The month closes with Eid al-Fitr. Because the timings track sunrise and sunset rather than clock hours, the length of the fasting day varies substantially with both latitude and the time of year Ramadan currently falls in.

Why Ramadan falls when it does

Ramadan moves roughly eleven days earlier each Gregorian year. The Hijri calendar is purely lunar, with twelve months of 29 or 30 days totalling about 354 days — some eleven days shorter than the solar year — so the whole cycle drifts backwards through the seasons and returns to the same season after about 33 years. The start date is also not fixed in advance in the way a Gregorian holiday is: many communities begin on the confirmed sighting of the new crescent moon, so the actual first day can differ by a day between countries and between authorities within one country.

Is Ramadan a public holiday?

Ramadan is not a public holiday in the United States and US institutions operate normally throughout it. In many Muslim-majority countries the picture is different: working hours are commonly shortened by law or convention for the month, and school schedules shift. Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, is a public holiday in those countries — and, increasingly, a recognised religious observance for excused absence in a number of US school districts.

What to actually count down to

The date most worth knowing early is the approximate start, since Ramadan reshapes daily schedules for a month — meal times, work hours, sleep, and travel. Because the announced start can move by a day, a countdown is best treated as a close estimate rather than a fixed appointment, with the final confirmation coming locally.

Common questions

When is Ramadan?

Ramadan begins on 1 Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The Gregorian start date shifts about 11 days earlier each year. This page shows a live countdown to the next occurrence.

How do I put a Ramadan countdown on my iPhone?

The Rouse app for iOS includes a one-tap Ramadan countdown template. It recurs yearly and auto-advances after each occurrence, supports up to 5 alerts (for example, 1 day before), and can appear on your Lock Screen as a widget. The free tier includes 2 countdowns.

When does Ramadan start this year?

The counter above targets the calculated start date and shows it beneath the timer. Because many communities begin on a confirmed local crescent moon sighting, the observed first day can fall a day either side of the calculated date.

Why does Ramadan move earlier every year?

The Islamic calendar is lunar, with a year of about 354 days — roughly eleven days shorter than the Gregorian solar year. Ramadan therefore shifts about eleven days earlier each year and works its way through all four seasons over a cycle of roughly 33 years.

Why do different countries start Ramadan on different days?

Some authorities begin on the physical sighting of the new crescent moon, which depends on local weather and geography, while others use astronomical calculation. Both approaches are widely accepted, which is why start dates commonly differ by a day between and even within countries.

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