As lunar months are shorter than solar, the Islamic calendar does not correspond with the Gregorian calendar followed in the West and means Ramadan occurs around 11 days earlier every year. ... Its precise date also varies from country to country by about a day, depending on when the moon is sighted.

How are the dates of Ramadan determined?

The start of Ramadan fluctuates each year because the lunar Islamic calendar follows the phases of the moon. The beginning and end of Ramadan are determined by a moon sighting committee in Saudi Arabia. ... This year Ramadan is predicted to begin on April 12, and to end May 12 with Eid al-Fitr celebrations.

Does Ramadan happen twice a year?

Ramadan is coming with the exact date it starts in 2021 to be confirmed by sightings of the first faint crescent of the new moon. But in 2030, the holy month will occur twice in one year: once in January and then again in December.