In 2030, Muslims all around the world will celebrate Ramadan twice in one year, a phenomenon that last occurred in 1997.
In a video clip shared on his official Twitter account, Saudi astronomer Khaled Al-Zaqaq predicted that the fasting month will fall twice that year, first in January and then in late December.
This is due to the fact that the Islamic Hijri calendar is based on lunar cycles, whereas the Gregorian calendar is based on the Earth’s rotation around the sun.
It happens once every 33 years, as it did in 1965 and 1997, and it will happen again in 2030 and 2063, according to Al-Zaqaq.
Ramadan will begin on January 5, 2030 in the year 1451 AH (Anno Hegirae), and it will end on December 26, 2030 in the year 1452 AH, so we shall fast for 36 days in 2030.
The number of days in the Gregorian year is approximately 365 days, and the number of days in the Hijri year is approximately 354 days. “The lunar calendar, or a lunar-based year, is 11 days shorter than the solar calendar,” he adds.
Al-Zaqaq further said that the longest periods of fasting will take place when Ramadan is in the summer, and the shortest when it falls in winter.
Ramadan 1449 AH, due to begin in 2028, will take place in midwinter. In 1466 AH, corresponding to 2044, the holy month is due to begin during the height of summer.
The Chenab Times News Desk