Ramadan 2024 Overview

Millions of believers around the world celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, the holiest month of the year for Muslims.

Ramadan falls in the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, so there is no fixed date according to the Gregorian calendar. This year, Ramadan falls from March 11 to April 10. In this photo: Indonesian Muslims attend Tarawih prayers on the first night of Ramadan, at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Source: Reuters)

Members of the Moon Observation Committee perform the “rukyah” ritual, waiting for the new moon to rise in the sky, so that they can declare the beginning of Ramadan. In this photo: A member of Pakistan’s Moon Observation Committee uses a theodolite to track the moon rising to mark the holy month of Ramadan in Peshawar, Pakistan. (Source: Reuters)

A crescent moon marks the beginning of Ramadan in the sky over Cape Town, South Africa. (Source: Reuters)

Earlier, many families decorated their houses to welcome Ramadan. In the photo: People happily welcome Ramadan, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. (Source: Reuters)

They decorate their homes with sparkling lights. In this photo: Despite losing their homes due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, homeless Palestinians still try to decorate their tents in a refugee camp to welcome Ramadan, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. (Source: Reuters)

Vegetables and fruits are in high demand during Ramadan. Pictured: A vegetable stall at an outdoor grocery market in Somalia. (Source: Reuters)

A vendor sorts tomatoes at Karwan Bazar in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Source: Reuters)

During Ramadan, Muslims pray five times a day, called "Salat", at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and dusk. They can pray anywhere, at school, at work, at home or outdoors, but must follow the rules. In this photo: Indonesian Muslims attend prayers at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Source: Reuters)

This prayer is meant to remind believers of the right way of life. Islam is also considered a religion that requires believers to perform prayers most often during the day. Muslim students study the Quran on "Nuzul Quran" or "Day of Revelation of the Quran", on the 17th day of Ramadan, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Source: Reuters)

The prayer includes reciting verses from the Quran, kneeling on a carpet and touching the forehead to the ground as a sign of respect. Pictured: Shi'ite worshippers hold copies of the Quran on their heads at the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, Iraq. (Source: Reuters)

During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims must follow strict dietary rules. In principle, they will not eat, drink, smoke, or have sex from sunrise to sunset. In this photo: Muslim women pray inside the Jamia Mosque in Srinagar, India. (Source: Reuters)

From the age of 10, parents often encourage their children to fast for half a day to get used to fasting. In this photo: A man and a child read the Quran at a mosque in Karachi, Pakistan. (Source: Reuters)

However, there are some exceptions. Tourists, the elderly, the sick, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are exempted from fasting if they make up the fast at an appropriate time after Ramadan. Pictured: A Muslim attends Friday prayers during Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa compound, also known to Jews as the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City. (Source: Reuters)

A Muslim man rests after a day of prayers at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Source: Reuters)

In this photo: People gather for an Iftar meal organized by local charities and the Syria Development Trust at the Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo, Syria. (Source: Reuters)

Since fasting is measured from dawn to dusk, the number of hours of fasting varies depending on the season and where Muslims live. Near the Arctic, Muslims may fast for nearly 22 hours in the summer or just a few hours in the winter. Pictured: Cannons fire to announce the start of iftar during Ramadan, in Erbil, Iraq. (Source: Reuters)

During this holy month, Muslims wake up early to eat a pre-dawn meal called suhoor and after sunset, they eat a “breaking” dinner called iftar, ending the fast for the day. Pictured: People gather to eat in Heideveld, Cape Flats, Cape Town, South Africa. (Source: Reuters)

Ramadan brings many other benefits to individuals and society. Through fasting, the rich understand hunger and suffering and tend to do more charity when they fast. Muslims give annual charity (zakat) during Ramadan. In this photo: An Egyptian chef carries a tray of food to serve Iftar, the meal that ends a day of fasting, in the area next to Bab al-Futuh, the nearly 1,000-year-old gate at the northern entrance to the historic city of Cairo, Egypt. (Source: Reuters)

Muslims pray before eating Iftar at an electric motor shop in old Delhi, India. (Source: Reuters)

Ramadan usually ends with a three-day celebration (Eid al-Fitr), where Muslims hold special morning prayers and then visit family and friends. Pictured: Shi'ite worshippers attend Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of Ramadan, at the Imam Ali shrine in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq. (Source: Reuters)

Worshippers also often give charity (fitr) to ensure that the poor can also participate in the prayers and celebrate the completion of the holy month. Pictured: Albanian Muslims attend the Eid al-Fitr prayer to mark the end of Ramadan, at Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania. (Source: Reuters)

Muslims attend Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of Ramadan, near the Moscow Mosque in Moscow, Russia. (Source: Reuters)

In the United States - where Muslims are an ethnically and racially diverse minority - many will pray together and participate in festivals that include fun activities for children and families such as balloon twisting and face painting. Pictured: People pray outside the Masjid At-Taqwa mosque during Eid al-Fitr in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, US. (Source: Reuters)

(according to Reuters )

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