What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Because Islam uses a lunar calendar, Ramadan begins and ends at a different time each year. The way the lunar calendar works is that the beginning of each month begins with the sighting of the new moon. The lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar calendar used in much of the Western world. To learn more about the various calendars of the past and present, see Calendar Zone.The start of Ramadan each year is based on a combination of sightings of the moon and astronomical calculations. In the United States, many Muslims adhere to the decision of the Islamic Society of North America on the start of the holiday. The end of Ramadan is determined in a similar way.