Ramadan 2017: The conclusion of Ramadan is marked with a major celebration known as Eid ul-Fitr.
The origins of Ramadan draw significantly from the occasion of Laylat al-Qadr, frequently translated as "the Night of Power." It was on this night in 610 CE, that Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and led the entire month to be seen as a holy time in the calendar.
Observance of Ramadan is also mandated in the
Quran's second chapter, verses 183-185:
"O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous ... The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it."
Ramadan comes at a different time every year because it is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, a date-keeping system based on lunar cycles, unlike the Gregorian calendar (the one used by most of the world, including the US), which is based on the solar year. A new month begins with the appearance of the new moon, or the crescent moon, and ends with the next appearance of a new moon.
The month of Ramadan thus moves backwards about 10 days every year relative to the Gregorian calendar.
Eid ul-FitrThe conclusion of Ramadan is marked with a major celebration known as Eid ul-Fitr (or Eid al-Fitr), the Feast of Fast-Breaking. It starts the day after Ramadan ends and lasts for three days.
Eid al-Fitr includes special prayers and meals with friends and relatives, and gifts are often exchanged.
This year Ramadan begins on Friday, May 26 and ends on Saturday, June 24.