An Indonesian Muslim man plays fire stick during a parade ahead of Eid Al-Fitr celebrations on July 16, 2015 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)
When does Ramadan end? 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. After a month of fasting, Muslims celebrate with Eid al-Fitr.
Ramadan dates change every year, and so does Eid al-Fitr.
The reason that the dates 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 for American-Muslims, Ramadan ends at sundown on Wednesday, July 6. This was decided by the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA), which “recognizes astronomical calculation as an acceptable Shar’i method for determining the beginning of lunar months including the months of Ramadan…”
However, these dates vary culturally. To view a Ramadan fasting timetable, click here.