When is Ramadan 2017? This is you need to know

When is Ramadan 2017?
This is what you need to

know

Each year Muslims in Wales, and worldwide, observe

Ramadan - and it's not just about fasting.

If Islam isn't your religion, you might not understand what

it's all about, but don't worry, here's what you need to

know about the month.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is one of the months in the Islamic calendar

and the dates vary each year because the Islamic

calendar uses the lunar cycle - where as the Gregorian

calendar, which is widely used in the western world, is

based on the sun.

It's the ninth month and in Arabic its name is said to

mean "burning" or "scorching heat", because the month

tends to fall on a hot time of the the year in that part of

the world.

And according to Islam, it was during this month that the

Quran - the holy book of Islam - was revealed to the

prophet Muhammad by Allah (God).

When is it?

In 2017, Ramadan is expected to begin on May 27,

lasting until June 24.

Following on from the month of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr

(commonly known as Eid, which means festival) will be

on June 25, 2017, as Shawwal (the next month) begins.

Fasting

During Ramadan, Muslims fast during daylight hours

(from sunrise until sunset) - but it's not just food that

Muslims abstain from during this time.

No, fasting during Ramadan also includes abstaining

from drink, sex, smoking, swearing, gossiping or other

acts which are considered sinful.

And fasting is considered one of the Five Pillars of

Islam, which are the mandatory acts that form the basis

of the religion.

Prayer, faith, charity and the pilgrimage to Mecca are the

other four pillars.

Muslims believe that fasting allows them to concentrate

on devotion to their faith, without distraction, and

everyone who's past the age of puberty is expected to

fast.

However there are exceptions. For example, the elderly,

breastfeeding or pregnant women or people with medical

conditions are not required to take part in the fasting.

Once the fasting has finished at the end of Ramadan,

Muslims celebrate with Eid al-Fitr - one of the two major

holidays of Islam.

Muslims will gather at the mosque for a prayer, before

spending the day with family or friends.

Iftaar

Every evening during Ramadan, when the sun goes down,

Muslims gather to break their fasts at iftaar, which

literally means ‘break fast’.

Iftaar occurs in a number of different ways, with one of

the most common being eating together as a family.

Some people also eat at the mosque where donations

will often be made and some Muslims even partake in

iftaar parties, where money is usually raised for charity