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Look at WIKI for info and chart w/dates:
Ramadan (Arabic:; ?????) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the month in which Muslims believe the Quran was revealed.
Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month is spent by Muslims fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to sunset. Muslims believe that the Quran was sent down to the lowest heaven during this month, thus being prepared for gradual revelation by Jibraeel (Gabriel) to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Furthermore, Muhammad told his followers that the gates of Heaven would be open all the month and the gates of Hell (Jahannam) would be closed.[1] The first day of the next month, Shawwal, is spent in celebration and is observed as the "Festival of Breaking Fast" or Eid al-Fitr.
Timing[edit]
The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year and contains no intercalation, Ramadan migrates throughout the seasons. The Islamic day starts after sunset. The actual and estimated start and end dates for Ramadan in 1999–2017 were and are as follows:[2]
CE / AD AH First day[3] Last day[3]
1999-2000
1420
9 December
7 January
2000
1421
27 November
26 December
2001
1422
16 November
15 December
2002
1423
6 November
4 December
2003
1424
26 October
24 November
2004
1425
15 October
13 November
2005
1426
4 October
2 November
2006
1427
24 September
22 October
2007
1428
13 September
12 October
2008
1429
1 September
30 September
2009
1430
22 August
19 September
2010
1431
11 August
9 September
2011
1432
1 August
29 August
2012
1433
20 July
18 August
2013
1434
9 July
7 August
2014 1435 28 June 27 July
2015
1436
18 June
16 July
2016
1437
6 June
5 July
2017
1438
27 May
24 June
All of the Ramadan dates between 2014 and 2017 are estimates
Many Muslims insist on the local physical sighting of the moon to mark the beginning of Ramadan, but others use the calculated time of the new moon or the Saudi Arabian declaration to determine the start of the month. Since the new moon is not in the same state at the same time globally, the beginning and ending dates of Ramadan depend on what lunar sightings are received in each respective location. As a result, Ramadan dates vary in different countries, but usually only by a day. This is due to the cycle of the moon. The moon travels the same path all year round and when the moon is seen in the east, it is then seen traveling towards the west. All the countries around the world see the moon within a 24 hour period once spotted by one country in the east.
Each year, Ramadan begins about eleven days earlier than in the previous year.[4] Astronomical projections that approximate the start of Ramadan are available.[5] It takes about 33 years and five days for Ramadan to complete a twelve month move across the yearly calendar.
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