Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and lasts either 29 or 30 days, depending on when the new crescent moon is, or should be, visible.

The Arabic term Ramadan means intense heat. In pre-Islamic Arabia, Ramadan was the name of a scorching hot summer month. In the Islamic calendar, however, the timing of Ramadan varies from year to year. This year Ramadan will begin at sunset on March 11th give or take a day depending on when the new moon is seen. An Islamic year is roughly 11 days shorter than a Gregorian year.

Ramadan is a period of fasting and spiritual growth and is one of the five “pillars of Islam”  Able-bodied Muslims are expected to abstain from eating, drinking and intimate relations from dawn to sunset each day of the month. Many practicing Muslims also perform additional prayers, especially at night, and attempt to recite the entire Quran.