Why Does Ramadan Move Every Year?
Two different calendars
The Gregorian calendar tracks the earth’s orbit around the sun and runs 365 days. The Hijri calendar tracks the phases of the moon and runs about 354 days across twelve lunar months. The gap of roughly eleven days is the whole explanation.
The effect over time
Because each Hijri year finishes about eleven days sooner, every Islamic date moves backwards through the Gregorian year. Ramadan drifts from spring to winter to autumn to summer and back, completing a full cycle in roughly 33 years. Someone who lives a long life will fast Ramadan in every season.
Why this matters practically
- Fasting hours change from year to year in the same city, sometimes dramatically at high latitudes.
- Ramadan does not stay aligned with school terms, harvests or holiday seasons.
- Roughly every 33 years a Gregorian year contains two Ramadans, one in January and one in December.
Is the drift intentional?
The Qur’an fixes the number of months at twelve and forbids the pre-Islamic practice of intercalation — inserting an extra month to keep the calendar aligned with the seasons (Qur’an 9:36–37). The result is a calendar that stays purely lunar, and a Ramadan that is shared equally across all seasons by Muslims everywhere over a lifetime.
On the dates: 8 February 2027 is the site’s current planning date for the first fast and is not presented as a confirmed moon-sighting date. Published future calendars also label 2027 dates tentative. Follow the recognised authority or method used by your community for the confirmed start.
Frequently asked questions
How many days earlier does Ramadan fall each year?
About ten or eleven days in the Gregorian calendar.
Will there ever be two Ramadans in one Gregorian year?
Yes, roughly once every 33 years, when one falls in early January and the next in late December.
Why is intercalation not used?
Qur’an 9:37 describes the pre-Islamic practice of adding a month as an increase in disbelief, and it was abolished.
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