Children carry torches during a procession to celebrate the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan on June 27, 2014 in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Oscar Siagian/Getty Images)
When is Ramadan 2016? Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, and the month is believed to be when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed. Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar and is commonly observed with fasting, prayers, and recitation of the Quran by Muslims.
The reason that the dates of Ramadan change every year is because Islam follows a lunar calendar. The dates of the lunar calendar change every year because there’s not a set amount of days in the lunar calendar. The lunar calendar reflects the cycles of the moon, and when it is compared to or tried to fit into a 12-cycle solar calendar (that most of the Western world uses), there are slightly more than twelve lunations (or moon phases) in a solar year.
This year, Ramadan begins at sundown on Sunday, June 5 and ends at sundown on Tuesday, July 5, with Eid al-Fitr, or the breaking of the Ramadan fast. These dates vary culturally. To view a Ramadan fasting timetable, click here.
Check back for more information on Ramadan fasting times, the best Ramadan fasting time apps, funny Ramadan memes, funny Eid memes, and more.