Knowing when both Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr will fall is a time of anticipation, that anticipation will grow however as it turns out there are two Ramadans to keep track of by 2030.
There will also be three Eids in 2030–and one of them will fall on Christmas.
This isn’t some new announcement from a government ministry, it’s the one of the natural intricacies that comes with using a lunar calendar.
Ramadan, before the time of high-spec telescopes, was observed by sighting the new moon with the naked eye. The lunar calendar and cycles of the moon is what dictates when an event like Ramadan will fall.
A part of the lunar month though is that it moves forwards by 10-11 days each year. What this means is that in 2030, Ramadan will fall both in January and then again in December.
And Every year you may notice Ramadan goes back every 10-11 days which is why by the time we get to the year 2030 we get Ramadan in Jan then Dec
— Minhal Khan (@minhalakhan) July 26, 2019
Hassan Ahmed Al Hariri, chief executive officer of the Dubai Astronomy Group, told Gulf News that observing two Ramadans in one year should not be considered a phenomenon as the lunar month moves forward by 11 days every year.
“The solar calendar and the lunar calendar run separately from each other, and are different. The solar one is fixed with the sun, while the lunar calendar is always 11 days shorter. So having two Ramadans is a natural result of having two different calendars,” Al Hariri pointed out.
“Calendars were invented by humans so we could use it as a benchmark and to count the time. People should see the two Ramadans as a natural thing,” he said.
It’s expected that Ramadan will be seen in early January, with Eid Al Fitr in early February, and then Ramadan later in the year right after the festive season in December.
If the current standing rule by the government is untouched by 2030, this will mean that both private and public sector will not only get two Ramadans but two holiday timeslots as well.
Now that we’re in Ramadan once again, read Esquire Middle East’s do’s and don’ts for Ramadan 2021.
Esquire now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit ‘Like’ on our Esquire Facebook page and ‘Follow’ on our @esquiremiddleeast Instagram and Twitter account.
