Muslims will observe the holy month of Ramadan twice in one year in 2030 — first in January, and then again in late December. This uncommon phenomenon is set to occur due to the disparity between two calendars, which affects the Muslim fasting schedule. While Ramadan’s timing is based on the lunar Islamic Hijri calendar, the Gregorian calendar, which marks the Earth’s passage around the sun, is used in daily life. Accordingly, around every 30 years, two Ramadans occur in one Gregorian year. The last occurrence happened in 1997, and after 2030, the next is expected in 2063. Due to the disparity between the calendars, Ramadan also coincides with different seasons every year in this three-decade cycle. |