For nearly 2 billion Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a time of deep reflection, spiritual connection and community. Here’s what to know about the sacred Islamic month as it begins.
When Does Ramadan Start and End?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the 12-month Islamic lunar calendar. Since the calendar is based on the moon’s cycles, Ramadan’s start date shifts earlier each year and does not align with the Gregorian calendar. It officially begins with the sighting of a crescent moon following the new moon.
A new moon occurred Thursday, February 27, with Friday evening likely to be the first sighting of the crescent moon, with March 1 set to be the first day of Ramadan. There are often slight differences in calculations on the start date of the holy month, but based on the moon cycle, it is largely regarded as ending on March 30.
The day after the end of Ramadan is called Eid al-Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast, which take places once the new moon is seen. To wish someone well, people say “Eid Mubarak.”
AP Photo/Hadi Mizban
History of Ramadan
The holy month of Ramadan is believed to be when the first verses of the Quran, Islam’s sacred text, were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Many Muslims read and recite the Quran during the month.
How Is Ramadan Observed?
The holy month is a moment of spiritual connection, community, prayer and reflection. Muslims partake in several religious activities during the time, including fasting from dawn to sunset every day, a tradition that dates back more than 1,400 years.
Muslims often break their daily fast during Ramadan with “iftar,” an evening meal often shared with family and friends. Some people are exempt from fasting, such as young children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, elderly and the ill.
The fast is often first broken with water and dates, following the practice of the Prophet Muhammad. Many mosques and community groups also host iftar gatherings, fostering a spirit of togetherness and welcoming people from various backgrounds.
The month encourages Muslims to engage in a period of introspection and connectivity, with communal meals and prayers. Muslims are encouraged to donate to charity.
How Many People Observe Ramadan?
Ramadan is celebrated by nearly 2 billion Muslims across the world, with different traditions in various countries and communities. Sunni and Shia Muslims, the two main sects of Islam, observe Ramadan. In some countries, work hours are adjusted or reduced during Ramadan.
Since the Islamic lunar calendar is shorter than the 365-day Gregorian calendar, the timing of Ramadan shifts each year. The length of daily fasting varies depending on a country’s geographic location in either hemisphere, often ranging from 13 hours to 16 hours of fasting.
Islam is the third largest religion in the U.S., after Christianity and Judaism, with an estimated 4.5 million people in the U.S. identifying as Muslim.
AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade
Will There Be a White House Iftar?
The first recorded presidential iftar dates to 1805, when President Thomas Jefferson hosted a dinner for Sidi Soliman Mellimelli, a Tunisian diplomat who was observing Ramadan.
However, the tradition did not take hold until the past two and a half decades, when the White House began more regularly hosting an iftar dinner during Ramadan, with some exceptions.
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Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment via email on Thursday.
President Joe Biden canceled last year’s event after several Muslim Americas declined the invitation. Some members declined to attend amid the president’s handling of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
During President Donald Trump‘s first year in office, he did not engage with the tradition but held iftar dinners in 2018 and 2019. The White House has not officially published any plans for a 2025 iftar.