Ramazan 2025 to 'begin' on March 1 in rare Hijri-Gregorian alignment

The president of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, Eng. Majed Abu Zahra, announced that this year, the world will witness a rare astronomical alignment: the first day of Ramazan in the Hijri calendar falls on March 1, 2025, in the Gregorian calendar.

Abu Zahra explained that the Hijri calendar, based on the lunar cycle, marks the start of each month with the sighting of the crescent moon.

The Hijri year, lasting 354 or 355 days, is approximately 10 to 12 days shorter than the solar-based Gregorian calendar, which has 365 days or 366 in a leap year such as 2024.

The difference causes the Hijri months to shift backward by about 10 to 12 days annually in the Gregorian calendar, completing a full seasonal cycle approximately every 33 years.

Read more: Ramazan moon not sighted in Saudi Arabia

He highlighted that the rare alignment of Ramazan 1, 1446, with March 1, 2025, results from a precise synchronization between lunar and solar cycles.

Such alignments, though infrequent, recur approximately every 33 years, albeit in different months.

“This rare phenomenon is a testament to the mathematical and astronomical precision governing the movements of the moon and the earth,” Abu Zahra stated.

He further said that the event serves as a reminder of the cyclical nature of time and the compatibility between astronomical cycles, which form the basis of all calendar systems.