As the holy month of Ramadan (also called Ramzan, Ramazan, or Ramzaan) is around the corner, the crescent moon sighting is soon expected in Muslim-majority nations like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other nations like Australia and the United Kingdom.
However, since moon observers could not spot the crescent moon in Saudi Arabia, the first day of Ramadan will commence on March 23.
In India, Ramadan will commence on March 22 and a moon sighting is also expected on the same day after the moon sighting takes place in Mecca. The Ramadan month will come to an end on April 21 (Friday) and Muslims across the globe will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr the next day April 22.
The exact date of this holy month varies from country to country. As per the local tradition, Middle Eastern countries celebrate both Ramadan and Eid-ul-fitr, one day earlier than most countries in the world.
In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Ramadan will begin on March 23, while in Indonesia it will begin on March 22, and in Kuwait, Lebanon, Maldives, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Turkey, it will also begin on March 23. Each country will celebrate Eid-ul-fitr on April 21 or April 22, depending on the moon sighting.
The fasting date changes yearly because the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle hence, its starting and end date depends upon the sighting of the crescent moon. Usually, the crescent of Ramadan is first sighted in Saudi Arabia and some parts of India along with some Western countries and then usually a day later in the rest of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries.
