Ramadan begins in United States
Quick Facts
During Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, Muslims fast during the hours of daylight. Ramadan is predicted to begin around (or close to) September 2 and end around October 1 in 2008.Name
Ramadan beginsRamadan begins 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008Ramadan begins 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009Note: Regional customs or moon sightings may cause a variation of the date for Islamic holidays, which begin at sundown the day before the date specified for the holiday. The Islamic calendar is lunar and the days begin at sunset, so there may be one-day error depending on when the New Moon is first seen.
See list of observations below
An Iftar table for breaking the fast in Ramadan. ©iStockphoto.com/Paul Cowan
What do people do?
During Ramadan, Muslims fast (or swam) during the hours of daylight. While Muslims are fasting, they do not eat, drink or engage in sexual intercourse. In addition, they try to increase the amount of time they spend reading the Koran (Qu'ran), give extra money to charities (zakaat), refrain from petty conversations and avoid irreligious sights and practices. Some people attempt to recite the whole Koran during the month of Ramadan.
In many Muslim communities, communal prayers and meals are held in the evening at mosques or in private homes. These are usually well-attended and some people may spend the whole night at the mosque praying or reading Islamic texts, particularly on Laylat-al-Qadr, a date in the last third of the month of Ramadan. During the month, people give money so that even the poorest members of their community can afford new clothes and to take part in the communal meals organized on Eid-al-Fitr.
As the start and end of the fast are related to sunrise and sunset, the times are different on each day of Ramadan. Many Muslims may use printed calendars distributed by mosques or local businesses, electronic calendars downloaded from the Internet, email reminders or SMS mobile telephone services to help them remember when to start and break their fast.
Public life
Ramadan does not affect public life in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States. However, Islamic stores, businesses and other organizations may have altered opening hours and there may be some congestion around mosques, particularly in the evening.
Background
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, which consists of 12 months and lasts for about 354 days. The word “Ramadan” is derived from an Arabic word for intense heat, scorched ground and shortness of food and drink. It is considered to be the most holy, venerated and blessed month and fighting is prohibited in this period.
Ramadan begins Observances
Note: Regional customs or moon sightings may cause a variation of the date for Islamic holidays, which begin at sundown the day before the date specified for the holiday. The Islamic calendar is lunar and the days begin at sunset, so there may be one-day error depending on when the New Moon is first seen.| Weekday | Date | Year | Name | Holiday type | Where it is observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Jul 14 | 1980 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Fri | Jul 3 | 1981 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Wed | Jun 23 | 1982 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Sun | Jun 12 | 1983 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Thu | May 31 | 1984 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Tue | May 21 | 1985 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Sat | May 10 | 1986 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Thu | Apr 30 | 1987 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Mon | Apr 18 | 1988 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Fri | Apr 7 | 1989 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Wed | Mar 28 | 1990 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Sun | Mar 17 | 1991 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Thu | Mar 5 | 1992 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Tue | Feb 23 | 1993 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Sat | Feb 12 | 1994 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Wed | Feb 1 | 1995 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Mon | Jan 22 | 1996 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Fri | Jan 10 | 1997 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Wed | Dec 31 | 1997 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Sun | Dec 20 | 1998 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Thu | Dec 9 | 1999 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Tue | Nov 28 | 2000 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Sat | Nov 17 | 2001 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Wed | Nov 6 | 2002 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Mon | Oct 27 | 2003 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Sat | Oct 16 | 2004 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Wed | Oct 5 | 2005 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Sun | Sep 24 | 2006 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Thu | Sep 13 | 2007 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Tue | Sep 2 | 2008 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Sat | Aug 22 | 2009 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Wed | Aug 11 | 2010 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Mon | Aug 1 | 2011 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Fri | Jul 20 | 2012 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Tue | Jul 9 | 2013 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Sun | Jun 29 | 2014 | Ramadan begins | Muslim | |
| Thu | Jun 18 | 2015 | Ramadan begins | Muslim |
Other holidays in September 2008 in United States
- Labor Day (Monday, September 1, 2008)
- Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day (Saturday, September 6, 2008)
- National Grandparents Day (Sunday, September 7, 2008)
- International Literacy Day (Monday, September 8, 2008)
- Patriot Day (Thursday, September 11, 2008)
- International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (Tuesday, September 16, 2008)
- Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (Wednesday, September 17, 2008)
- International Day of Peace (Sunday, September 21, 2008)
- Autumnal equinox (Monday, September 22, 2008)
- World Maritime Day (Thursday, September 25, 2008)
- Laylat al-Qadr (Saturday, September 27, 2008)
- Gold Star Mother's Day (Sunday, September 28, 2008)
- Rosh Hashana (Tuesday, September 30, 2008)
Other calendars
- Perpetual yearly calendar - make yearly calendar for any year
- Perpetual monthly calendar - shows only one month at a time
- Custom calendar - make customized calendars
