The important dates of Ramadan change each year because they are based on the lunar nature of the Islamic calendar, not the Gregorian calendar organized around the Earth’s rotation around the sun. This year, the official start date of Ramadan will be announced during the Night of Doubt, Sunday March 10.
The month of Ramadan is approaching for Muslims in France, marking an important time in the Islamic calendar. Each year, the dates of this sacred month, one of the five pillars of Islam, are determined according to the lunar calendar and therefore vary from one year to the next. The Islamic calendar differs from the solar calendar because it is based on lunar cycles rather than the Earth’s rotation around the sun. The lunar months, lasting 29 or 30 days, are shorter than the solar months. The month of Ramadan therefore advances by approximately 10 to 12 days each year in the Gregorian calendar.
In 2024, although the first day of this holy month is known, it is still awaiting confirmation. Ramadan, the ninth month of the year in Islam, is a time when Muslims observe several obligations, including fasting daily from dawn to sunset, abstaining from food and water, among other things. It is also a time of intense spiritual connection, inspiring believers to avoid bad deeds more than ever. Evening prayers, called Tarawihs, are significant times when the community gathers at the mosque to pray together.
A particularly sacred night
A particularly important event each year is the Night of Doubt, during which Muslims learn of the confirmation of the beginning of this blessed month. This date can be predicted several weeks in advance thanks to astronomical calculations which predict the appearance of the new moon, marking the start of Ramadan. Some religious bodies rely on this method, while others consider it essential to physically observe the crescent moon in the sky on the Night of Doubt. In France, the Grand Mosque of Paris plays a central role in bringing together French Muslim federations on the 29th day of the previous month, called chaabane, for this crucial observation. This year, the Night of Doubt takes place on Sunday March 10 and the Grand Mosque of Paris awaits its faithful from 6 p.m. At that time, if the moon is visible in the sky, Ramadan begins the next day. Otherwise, it begins two days later, thus becoming the official date for the start of Ramadan in France. This same process is used to determine the end of the fast, on the 29th day of Ramadan.
The French Council of Muslim Faith (CFCM) has set the start of the holy month for Monday March 11, 2024 based solely on astronomical calculations, as announced in a press release on February 14. “The conjunction of the new moon of Ramadan 1445H will take place on March 10, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (Paris time). According to the calculation criteria adopted by the CFCM in 2013, the visibility of the new moon will be possible on the same day,” specifies -he. On the evening of Sunday March 10, the Grand Mosque of Paris should confirm this date. “The religious commission will take into consideration the visual observation of the new moon without excluding the results of astronomical calculations,” she said. Ramadan will begin on Monday March 11 or Tuesday March 12, at the latest.